Something Velveteen
by the machination
Summary: [Uzumaki & Vash's Girl cowrite] When Scroogelike Riku stepped into Red Nocturne Café, he didn't expect to find an employee there who would forever change his smiles. Includes family dinners, snowfilled escapades, and hot cocoa. [SR]
1. Ch 1: Mr Grumpy

**_Author's Notes:_**

_Uzumaki-sama:_ Two people e-mailed me asking if I was going to write anything for Christmas. I hadn't thought about it, but the more I did, I decided it would be fun to try something. In the early stages of planning, Jess and I decided we should write it for one of our really close friends, Dark Ki. So Ki, this is all for you, and we hope it cheers you up!

_Vash's Girl:_ Susie just about summed it up. We had a lot of fun planning this, and we hope you readers will enjoy reading it.

**_Disclaimer:_**

Nothing belongs to us except Izzy (VG's cat), Artemis and Rairune, Seiya and San, and the plot (or lack thereof). Sion is from _The Bouncer_.

* * *

_For Dark Ki—_

_Much love, and Happy Holidays!_

* * *

**_Part One_** – _Mr. Grumpy_

--

There was a house that resided on a quiet hill over-looking its old-fashioned town. It was large, two floors, with broad windows and marble white steps that led up to an oaken door, which had miraculously withstood all types of horrible weather. A chimney, dormant for years, jutted out from the sloped roof, now a home for birds who hadn't quite made it to the South for winter. Curtains, thick and white, hid the interior of the house from view, leaving it something of a mystery.

It seemed that no one occupied this lonely place. Children had crept to the back, thinking that maybe there would be some signs of life on the porch, but there was only a dead garden... left unattended for as long as the chimney had been and forgotten by time.

Vines, long gone brown and brittle, climbed the stone walls surrounding the back of the house. It was said by the elders in the town that these were once roses, beautiful red roses, but now it was hard to believe. Nothing grew here but weeds...

A stone fountain resided in the very center of the garden, covered in mold and grime. Upon its once white surface were more of the rose vines, snaking into the fountain itself. But the murky water within it had frozen by the coming of frost, and now snow covered everything, gleaming and untouched in the dying sunlight.

The children imagined that the garden must have been very beautiful once, and that the house had been occupied by a warm, loving family. But who occupied it now? The only signs of life stemmed from the fact that hired workmen shoveled the driveway of snow... And occasionally light crept from behind the heavy curtains. But that was all. Nothing more, nothing less.

It was sad. And the lonely aura of the house kept curious children from venturing too close. They were too frightened as it were. That place... It seemed full of dark secrets.

But it wasn't. Just a lonely, rich boy... And the aura came from him.

Night was beginning to fall on the small town as Riku climbed up the steps to his house—never his home—tucking his car keys in his pocket and sighing. His breath came out in a long stream of clouds before him, almost as if he were smoking a cigarette, and he shivered in the cold. But he was now used to it. The winters were always harsh here, and he had grown up in them.

His booted feet thuddedheavily along the cleared pavement as he neared the door. Yawning a little and withdrawing his keys, he sleepily unlocked his house and shut the door firmly behind him before replacing all the locks.

Riku rested his forehead on the cool surface of the door for a moment, taking a deep, quiet breath, and then yawned again, turning to the heat system and flicking the knob up.

His house, as usual, was deathly silent, swamped in thick shadows and the dim light pressing against the curtained windows. His eyes flicked over the dark living room, the furniture nothing but mere shapes to his tired eyes, before he started down the hallway, not bothering to take his coat and boots off or turn on the lights.

_Bed... _Riku thought wearily, eyelids drooping. He just wanted to climb into his warm, comfortable bed and fall asleep. Maybe, with luck, he'd sleep through tomorrow—Christmas Eve—and all of Christmas... and perhaps not wake up until the New Year. Seemed like a swell idea to him.

Maybe he was over-working himself? Not wanting to stay at the house all vacation, Riku had paid a man to give him an extra class during Christmas break. And when he wasn't there, he was in the library, studying for his regular classes, but by request, his professors had told him the next chapters and assignments they were going to be covering. And he was a wonderful student, never falling behind in his work and acing everything they covered, so there hadn't been a hesitation in the giving the information to him.

Nothing satisfied Riku these days. Nothing at all. His life was school. He didn't even know where he was going with it, he just knew he was going somewhere, and anywhere was better than here.

Upon reaching the kitchen, Riku placed his keys on the counter and reached for the mail. His housemaid always brought it in for him, tidied up the house, and then left again. The most Riku ever saw of her was when he was paying her monthly check. And then he was always away from the house during the day. He wasn't too worried about theft—she was an elderly lady and seemed nice enough, and it wouldn't even mater if she _did _get the notion in her head.

Nothing mattered anymore.

Riku sifted through his mail, and his brows furrowed upon reaching a card from his mother. Setting the rest of the mail down, he moved his thumb along the envelope flap, tearing the paper cleanly. Lips pressing into a thin line, he withdrew the Christmas card.

A flimsy Christmas tree decorated the card's surface, nothing carefully drawn or thoughtful, merely standing there against a plain white background. And upon opening the card, cursive black script read "Happy Holidays." That was it. No handwriting from his parents, no "Mother and Father," not even a speck of stray ink stating that they had at least _thought _to put the tip of a pen to the card.

Somehow, Riku wasn't very surprised. Nor was he surprised to see the check tucked into the crease of the card itself. Oh, but he was angry. Yes, he was _very _angry.

Breath hissing through his now gritted teeth, Riku took the check and the card, not even bothering to read the amount of money his parents had so graciously given him, and cleanly ripped the items in half.

And then to shreds.

Riku let the torn pieces of paper fall to the floor in a flurry of white and stormed out of the kitchen and into the living room, brushing past the marble coffee table and to the windows blocking the view of outside. He grabbed them, ripping them open, and glared out into the snow-covered front yard.

Who did his parents honestly think they were?! They might as well be Satan's fallen angels, come to make his life miserable on Earth. He was their mere puppet, expected to come whenever they summoned, forced to attend dull balls and parties, known for his fake smile of obedience. To the outside world, they looked like such a beautiful family, picture perfect, but this wasn't so.

Riku absolutely _despised _them. He wanted to wrap his hands around their prim and proper throats and _throttle _them! Just _looking _at them, _hearing _their awful _voices_, made him want to yell. To scream. To claw at the dark steel bars that surrounded him until he went positively insane. He _was _going insane!

Suffering through his mother's false smiles as she petted his hair, speaking with poison underlying her every word. Her empty eyes, her skinny, sharp body that had never been a haven of welcoming him with open arms. Her long hair that he wanted to _strangle _her with...!

And his father, with all his overwhelming expectations. He was expected to attend the finest schools, to marry a rich, beautiful woman and have her produce offspring, to join the field of law and rise through the ranks of justice. Hell, if he asked for it, Jordan Daemonson could provide the road to _presidency_. It made him nauseous just thinkingabout it!

He could hear their voices in his head, echoing loudly and thrumming along his skull, berating, scoffing, never offering a kind, encouraging word to their son. And after all that he had been through for them, he only received a check and a hideous, uncaring Christmas card in return. If he had wanted only their _money_, would he have been here, wallowing in this dismal _hell_?! His life was miserable, boring, _lonely_...

He wanted nothing more than to be _free_!

The distant Christmas lights glared at Riku, taunting him with soft cackles that only his tormented ears could hear, blurry and reminding him that he would never _ever _experience the family joy of spending holidays together. There wouldn't be any singing Christmas carols and gathering around his father as he played the piano. No decorating a _real _tree, putting so much love and _effort _into it. No sitting before the warm fire and sipping hot cocoa. No tearing into Christmas presents and laughing with glee.

Dizzy, Riku slumped to his knees and closed his eyes, placing a hand to his forehead.

No warm smiles or embraces. No encouraging chuckles from his childhood. No words of comfort. No building snowmen. No Christmas decorations. No cookies or milk. No... No Santa Claus. Nothing. There was nothing at all.

Riku hated his parents. And he hated Christmas, too.

_I've got to get out of here_... the twenty-two-year-old thought weakly, eyes fluttering open and glancing at his pocket watch as he pulled it out of his coat. It was five o' clock, meaning that that café on the corner of town was probably still open. And he could maybe sit there for a while in the cozy atmosphere and get some peace.

At least... He _hoped _it would be decent enough. He had never been there before, but he had eyed it on occasion, and...

Getting to his feet, Riku rushed to the door without bothering to grab his keys. _Blast it all,_ he thought as he opened all the locks. He'd walk. After all, the stinging cold of outside was _nothing _compared to the frigid ice wrapped securely around his heart.

--

_Ding-a-ling!_

The shop bell on the door happily jingled as the café's new patron almost cautiously entered, not really knowing what to expect, green eyes darting around to study the entire interior for a brief moment. A few customers were present, murmuring quietly in their booths to each other over their steaming mugs of brown liquid. Two employees stood at the front of the cozy café, both brunette and good-looking, one talking animatedly as the other pretended to listen as he read a magazine.

Large bows of red velvet dotted the rafters overhead, twinkling strings of candy cane tinsel and snowy white lights draped lazily around them, creating a warm crimson glow. Soft, classical Christmas music greeted him as soon as he stepped inside, the door ringing behind him as it clicked shut, trapping him in this envelope of warmth. His body suddenly felt much more awake as he stood there, inhaling the sweet smell of muffins, syrups, and cream mixed with the sharp tang of coffee and chocolate.

Upon hearing the new customer enter, the upbeat worker resting on the counter immediately hopped to his feet and spun towards the entrance, lips pulled into a welcoming grin that spoke of the so-called Happy Holidays without ever uttering those two cursed words.

Without missing a beat from his previous conversation with the other worker, he chirped, "Hi, welcome to the Red Nocturne Café! Name's Sora and I'll be with ya in a sec!"

And while the other employee went back to reading his magazine, the spunky brunette named Sora continued on with the one-side conversation.

"—so Sion goes tearing out of the room on his stubby legs, giggling at the top of his lungs and waving my boxers like some sort of lunatic, hehe, and—_hey_, are you even _listening_, Leon?"

"Mm-hm."

Riku watched them for a second before deciding to seat himself, choosing a booth relatively near the door, away from the rest of the patrons. The Christmas music seemed loud here, but he decided he'd put up with it instead of forsaking such a nice window view of the snowy street outside. He slid onto the cushiony leather seat, giving a grateful sigh as he began brushing off the white flakes of ice that had gathered on his shoulders. As he was shaking out his hair, the employee named Sora, still talking to his co-worker, made his way over to Riku's booth.

"—so I chased the brat, in my _nuddy pants_ because I had nothing else, and there standing in the hallway... was the frickin' _mailman_."

Despite his co-worker's reticence and apparent disinterest, Sora laughed for both of them, coming to a stop in front of Riku just as he finished his story.

"God, I was so embarrassed!"

Riku glanced up just in time to see Sora lowering his face, their eyes meeting for the first time. He saw the energetic brunette's smile fade just a little upon seeing Riku's drab expression—as though it was a crime to be depressed and moody two days before Christmas—but he didn't particularly care what people thought about him, especially the worker of some non-commercial café whom he'd never meet again.

Lifting a silver eyebrow at the café worker, Riku studied him for a moment, taking in his friendly appearance with some skepticism. His cute face had just a tiny bit of babyfat left, with smiling eyes of a blue that reminded Riku of summer, not this dreary winter setting. Underneath what seemed to be the standard uniform of this place—just a white open-collared shirt tucked into black work slacks, and a black full-body apron with a red lettering that simply said "Red Nocturne"—the guy's slim, reedy body looked like it couldn't lift a standard-sized bag of ice. Still, he seemed to be the perfect employee to work during the holidays, like the type who amazingly never ran out of laughter and encouraging words; this, along with the radiant smile that seemed to reflect everything that Riku was not, was what deepened Riku's frown.

Sora was unfazed by Riku's foul mood, however, and set out the menu, again cheerfully greeting the glum-looking angel in an expensive overcoat.

The silver-haired man didn't even touch the offered menu, instead just wondering, "Do you have that crushed ice coffee?"

For a moment Sora looked blank, probably wondering why the hell someone would order something frozen when it was snowing outside, but his smile returned full force as he nodded. "Yup, we sell something just like Starbucks' Frappuccino. We have caramel, white chocolate, mo—"

"Mocha."

"Alright," Sora continued, undeterred, brown spikes of hair bouncing a little as he nodded. "Care for anything to eat to go with it? We have crepes, croissants, chocolate chip cookies—lots of C's. Anyway. You name it, we probably have it."

Riku gave him a disbelieving look for a moment, but when Sora offered another warm smile, he lightened up a little and relaxed into the comfortable booth cushion. Just because he was being the Christmas Scrooge, it didn't give him the right to dampen anyone else's spirits.

Lowering his gaze to study the table, he sighed, tracing a finger over the smooth surface of his menu. "If it's alright, I'll just order something later," he said quietly. "I'm going to be here a while..."

An awkward silence passed between them, an annoyingly-happy version of _Jingle Bells_ speaking for them as Sora simply watched the other man slump his shoulders and prop an elbow onto the table, looking so lethargic and...

Lost.

Clearing his throat as though it'd excuse the lapse, Sora nodded again, managing a cute laugh. "Alright. I'll leave the menu with you. Take your time, alright? Just wave and I'll come right over."

And with that, the brunette retreated back to the counter, smile fading immediately when his back was turned to the other man. Leon was still pretending to read, brown bangs swept over his steely gray eyes, one large hand holding the flimsy magazine up in front of him as he leaned against the counter. His gaze was following Sora, however, and the younger man caught his discreet stare, shrugging in response to the silent question.

Sora knew that, as cold and sullen as he seemed, even Leon hated to see such a sad sight so close to such a happy holiday. With a lingering glance at the icy angel sitting in his booth alone, Sora gave a soft pout of concern before he went to prepare the ordered iced coffee.

But even a half hour later, after Riku had finished his frozen beverage and left its empty container on the table, he still did not call Sora back over. A few customers came and went, ordering their French Vanilla coffee and banana nut muffins, and still the silver-haired man remained, sitting quietly, chin in his hand as he stared out the window at the dark street, watching passersby with a blank expression on his face.

Another soft snow began to fall outside around a quarter to an hour, and by then Riku had removed his coat, draping it next to him on the booth's cushion. Once in a while he would remove a gold trinket from its black pockets, studying it with an almost pained expression before returning it to its home in his coat. He did this a lot, Sora noticed, counting almost ten viewings by the time hour one crept upon them.

Dinnertime approached. Fewer customers came, ordered, and left, and Sora, who impatiently watched the lonely man watching the emptying street, couldn't help wondering his story.

Leon merely raised an eyebrow when the younger man finally caved in with a sigh and bustled around behind the counter to prepare something without permission. It was nearing seven o'clock and there was only one patron in the Red Nocturne.

Dazedly watching a happy couple walking hand-in-hand down the sidewalk, Riku slowly blinked, studying the curious way snow drifted like lace through the spotlights that were streetlamps. The girl nuzzled into her boyfriend's shoulder, and even from this distance inside the café, Riku could hear their happy laughter as they neared the building.

He was considering checking his gold pocket watch to see what time it was when he was startled out of his thoughts.

There came a loud clunk of porcelain and glass on his table, and he looked up just in time to see Sora stepping back, grinning and looking proud of himself. A small plate of chocolate chip cookies and a tall, frosty glass of milk now rested on the table in front of Riku.

"It's on the house," Sora said, hands on his hips.

Riku regarded the gift with a weary expression before glancing back out the window, the happy couple now passing close to the café.

"It's kinda funny that such a crazy, hectic holiday can make everyone so happy."

At that strangely wistful statement, Riku raised his gaze again, noticing Sora had been watching the couple too, and now had a fond expression on his face. He narrowed his eyes at the younger man, giving him a _look_ that clearly stated that he wanted to be left alone.

Sora's smile just spread at that. "You should smile more!" he chirped, crossing his arms across his apron. "You know if you keep on frowning like that, it's going to get stuck on your face. And that would hurt because it takes a lot of exercise to frown, which is a lot of muscles moving, so turn that frown upside down!"

The smile cracked into a brilliant grin that almost made Riku twitch.

He glanced away, lifting a hand to rake through his silver hair.

Sora saw the hint, but clearly didn't take it.

"I didn't have to work today, y'know," he said pleasantly, leaning against the table, ignoring the way Riku shied away from him. "But my mom and family were just so smothering, so I had to get away. I don't get to see them as much as I want anymore, but I'm beginning to think that's a good thing, hehe."

This time Riku shook his head, sighing. "Look, I don't want to talk, okay?" He raised his head to give Sora a stern look, only to hesitate at the other man's silly grin. "......."

"So, Mr. Grumpy, is it that you don't like Christmas time, or did something really bad happen to dampen your spirits, hmm?"

Green eyes narrowed before lowering again. "I just don't like Christmas," he replied, studying the simple white plate of cookies, and how the glass of milk was beginning to weep onto the table.

"Why not?"

A shrug. That was it.

Fighting back a disappointed pout, and silently reminding himself not to pry into other people's business, Sora crossed his arms back over his apron, trying to keep his spirits strong. "Well, eat your cookies and milk, otherwise Leon will get pissy about wasting like five bucks of merchandise on a lurker."

The quiet man raised his head, regarding Sora with a soft frown before glancing at the gift on the table again. Very softly, he spoke.

"Thanks..."

His voice was so timid, almost as though it was a foreign thing for him to be grateful, like he wasn't used to it. And though Sora hadn't gotten very good first impressions from this sullen customer, he found himself wanting to help him out, cheer him up, get to know him better, feeling almost fond of him.

Slowly Riku picked up the first cookie, studying it for a moment before taking a small bite, chewing at a leisurely pace to savor the soft treat, his taste buds crying out from the sudden sweetness after having nothing to eat all day. The cookie was very fresh tasting, the chocolate easily melting in the heat of his mouth, feeling like sugary velvet on his tongue.

Sora's smile returned, blue eyes twinkling with amusement as he watched the other man. "Hey, my shift is over soon. If you're planning on staying here all night, that means you have no plans for later, right?"

Riku continued munching on his cookie, but that sharp gaze returned to Sora's face, regarding him with a curious look. "Why?"

"Because I want to get to know you!"

_Munchmunch._ _Swallow. _"Not interested."

"Oh come on!" Sora said, a pout very evident in his cute voice. His tone dropped slightly though, and took on a more generous hint. "And it looks like you could use some cheering up, y'know?"

It wasn't like Riku enjoyed being Scrooge, honestly. He just didn't know how to react to people like this, especially when they were so keen on him, like Sora was. Riku wasn't happy. He rarely smiled. His family hated him. Christmas was just a reminder of how empty and depressing his life was, and he didn't feel like celebrating that fact when it seemed everyone else around him had something to appreciate.

Sora obviously loved his life, cherished his happiness, and it was really sweet that he wanted to share some with a total stranger like Riku, but...

For Riku, it was very unnerving.

But when Sora's voice dropped again, filling with an almost wistful, hopeful emotion, Riku felt himself cave in.

"I don't want to walk alone anyway," the younger man said quietly, though his tone still held a smile, "so let's go together."

At this, Riku looked up at him, starting on his second cookie and chewing thoughtfully as he studied Sora's winning puppy eyes.

"....where?" he asked flatly, though he really was curious as to where this guy planned to take him.

He felt he should have expected what came next. Sora practically leapt onto him, grinning ear-to-ear, brimming with excitement.

"I'll show you!" he beamed, eyes bright. "Eat your cookies and I'll see if Leon will let me off early, okay?"

And for the first time in a long time, Riku actually felt good about himself, to see someone look so happy because of something he'd done, even if it was something as simple as accepting cookies and milk, and agreeing to go somewhere with him.

This was definitely going to be an interesting night...

--

And he was right.

Even outside of work, as they walked the snowy sidewalks to a different part of town, Sora was still animated and talkative, always gesturing and giggling through his speech, carrying on entire conversations by himself even when Riku pretended not to listen. It was hard to, really. Not to listen. Riku had tried, but he actually found himself wanting to know more about this guy and how he could be so full of happy energy.

Riku walked next to him in silence, gloved hands tucked into the deep pockets of his overcoat, two fingers fiddling with the golden treasure buried from sight there. He itched to pull it out and see how much time had passed since they'd left the café, but he didn't want to seem rude right now, and that was a strange feeling... Usually he wouldn't care about it.

It seemed fitting, really, where Sora led them. When Riku saw the modest two-story building, looking like a church-turned-home, he almost laughed out of the whole cliché of it all.

Sora seemed like the type who would visit such a place on a regular basis. He truly did.

Riku read the bronze lettering of "Gainsborough Orphanage" on the side of the building as they climbed the stoop, the humble porch littered with second-hand toys and crumbling brown and red maple leaves. Ushering him forward, Sora flashed him another of his grins, just opening the front door and stepping right in, tugging Riku by his coat-sleeve.

"Back again already, Sora?"

The voice was soft and kind, like a classic interpretation of a mother, though Riku's own mother had never sounded so welcoming and warm. A tall woman stood there, long black hair falling straight down her lean back, glistening like smooth obsidian in the twinkling Christmas atmosphere of the interior of the orphanage's atrium. Her attire was modest, as was her warm smile, but her sharp green eyes focused on Riku immediately as he stepped through the threshold behind Sora, probably looking like some sort of dark cloud trailing after the friendly boy.

"Oh, and you brought a new friend," she commented, sounding genuinely surprised.

"Yeah," Sora smiled, gesturing to Riku. And for the first time since they'd met, Sora probably realized he didn't even know the other man's name, because Riku had never given it to him. Figures.

Feeling generous that moment, Riku decided to save the guy from embarrassing himself. He nodded, managing a non-threatening smile as he greeted the woman. "I'm Riku. I hope it's not too much trouble that Sora brought me along."

"Oh, not at all," the woman assured, smiling kindly. "I am Matron. The children are in the room ahead. They'll be so happy to meet you. It's not often that Sora brings new friends."

Sora rubbed the back of his head, giving a soft laugh. "Well, I would have brought Art and Runie, but I just got off work, actually."

She nodded, understanding, giving Riku another glance-over. "It's nice to meet you, Riku. It's almost the children's bedtime, so feel free to come back again when you have more time to play."

And almost on cue, a loud squeal came from the open doorway, a little girl in a yellow pajamas standing there grinning up at them.

"SORA'S HERE!!! SOOORAA!!!"

Sora laughed, kneeling as the girl came barreling towards him, leaping into his outstretched arms, both of them giggling like maniacs as more small heads peered around the doorframe, eyes lighting up when they saw Sora there.

"Sora!!"

"YAY, Sora's here!!"

Approximately a dozen small bodies were suddenly crowded around Sora, all pulling at his large coat and tugging him towards the other room, all chattering at about ten words a second, prepubescent voices filled with an enthusiasm that was foreign to Riku.

The three adults followed the children, Sora being swamped by little, writhing bodies of joy chanting his name and all trying to get his attention at the same time. A few cast shy looks in Riku's direction, curious but intimidated by his tall, dark stature.

A lone teddy bear lay discarded on the floor at his feet. It was missing its button nose and the fur looked a bit faded in color, and a silly pink patch covered a hole in one leg—all signs of a well-loved stuffed animal, the kind of companion Riku missed having as a child.

He bent down, pale fingers curling around one squishy arm of the bear, gently lifting it. Bringing his other hand forward, he clutched the bear, admiring how nostalgically soft it was, so velveteen, so worn and loved. Its head lopped to the side as he held it in front of him, studying it, its curly mouth frowning at his frown, almost taunting.

A tug at his pant leg attracted his attention, his gaze pulling away from the teddy bear to see the tiny girl in the yellow pajamas staring up at him with large, innocent eyes. "That's Howard. He's sick cuz he can't pick his nose cuz he don't have a nose no more, so his head is FULL of boogers! That's—that's—that's what Tidus told me."

Riku cracked a smile at that, a smile that lasted only a brief moment, for another kid bumped into Riku's leg, staring up at him with scared eyes before running off, reminding him how estranged he was. Lips pulling into a thin line, Riku regarded the small girl again, holding the bear out to her. She took it with a grateful grin before running off as well, her short, flippy brown hair bouncing as she hopped back to Sora.

Blinking slowly, Riku ran a hand through his silver locks before issuing a soft sigh. His eyes skimmed over Sora's happy face as he conversed cheerfully with the children, blue eyes unbelievably bright as he tossed back his head and released loud, full laughter.

As he stood there, soaking in the warm, cozy atmosphere, Riku couldn't help feeling... out of place. Again. He just didn't fit in here, with all these smiles, laughter, friendly banter. He just... wasn't happy enough. He was completely alienated from the crowd of buzzing children, their eyes as bright as Sora's as they giggled with glee.

... He had always felt... _odd_... in even the smallestof crowds. Like he didn't fit, like he didn't belong, like he was unwanted.

To take his mind off the uncomfortable feeling, Riku idly dug in his coat, eyes gazing down at his pocket watch. It was a purely beautiful thing... golden and the size of his palm, little white wings curling around the sides of it. It was a bit worn, a gift that he had received from his father as a child... back when Christmases were still magical. Back when they still meant something.

He noticed with disdain that only nine minutes had passed since they had arrived at the orphanage, the little twitching hands mocking him, their faint _ticks _lost in the sound of joyful laughter. It felt like it had been hours to Riku, and he was ready to go home and finally call it a night. If he had anticipated something like _this_ would happen—namely Sora and his "Christmas spirit" antics—he definitely wouldn't have bothered coming into town.

Riku heaved a sigh as he placed a hand to his brow, massaging it as his eyes flicked over the room. They landed on a little boy sitting across from the other children, his head bowed, blonde hair glimmering softly in the light.

Casting a glance in Sora's direction—the guy was still busy with the other boys and girls—Riku tucked his hands in his coat pockets and walked quietly across the floor until his booted feet stopped just before bare ones dangling freely in the air.

Eyes blinked in confusion and glanced up, revealing crystal clear blue irises. A chubby little face looked surprised for all of two seconds and then lowered sadly as a bottom lip puckered into a pout.

"Yes?" the boy asked sullenly.

Riku sat down on the bench beside him, and he flashed a smile. And even though it was small, faint, it still almost... hurt, something incredibly unfamiliar on his lips.

"Why... are you sitting here all by yourself?" Riku asked softly, and before he was aware of what he was doing, the fingers of his left hand were already out and smoothing through soft blonde locks gently.

Riku stared at his fingers performing such an affectionate gesture, and he wondered what had come over him so suddenly. Christmas spirit? He wanted to laugh at the thought. It was absolutely _ridiculous_. And yet here he was, petting this kid sympathetically, somehow feeling as if he had met a kindred spirit. Was that even possible? Better yet, was it _likely_? Riku had never felt comfortable with anyone in his life... So why was he now?

_I... used to long for company... _Riku thought, eyes lowering sadly as his fingers stopped their tender caress and dropped numbly to his lap. His eyes drifted up without really seeing anything, an odd haze of confusing, mixed emotions shrouding his mind. _I... wonder what happened? _

"...The other kids keep sayin' I'm loud and bossy..." the boy said after a long moment, kicking his dangling feet idly. "They don't want me playin' with 'em. So I just... came over here."

"Don't want to, you say?" Riku replied quietly. "Why do they think you're loud and bossy?"

The boy huffed a little, looking up at Riku with smoldering blue eyes, and he was still pouting. "'Cause! I wanted to play adventure! But they didn't wanna! They wanted to play _board _games! And what fun is board games?!" he rambled, those angry eyes filling with tears quickly as he carried on, and his bottom lip trembled. "So they told me I was a crybaby, too! I'm _not _a crybaby! I—!"

He broke off as he took a long, shuddering breath, choking on a sob. Raising shaky hands to his face, he rubbed the freshly falling tears away, and stared up at Riku gloomily.

"An' that's what happened, mister."

"Well..." Riku paused, and then spoke softly, "Maybe they will want to play adventure later?"

But the boy only shook his head furiously, hiccoughing. "They _never _wanna play adventure, mister!"

The older of the two sighed softly, running a hand idly through his hair. "...My name is Riku."

Big, blue eyes stared up at him curiously, and the boy sniffled. "Ri...ku?" he tried, sounding the name out slowly. He beamed a smile seconds later, revealing that he was missing his two front teeth, tears trickling freely down his cheeks despite his earlier attempts to get rid of them. "I'm Tidus!"

Riku chuckled a little. Children... easy to get over their woes. "That's a nice name." His lips curved into another faint smile. "Why don't you try playing board games with them?"

Tidus frowned thoughtfully, eyes flickering over to the giggling group of his peers. "...I dunno..." he said after a moment. "They seem pretty boring an' all."

"Well... Have you ever tried to play one?" Riku asked softly. "They don't look the least bit interesting?"

"But... But..." And Tidus' eyes were welling with tears again. "Just once, can't we play what _I _wanna play? We always play what _they _wanna play!"

Riku thought about this for a long moment—he wasn't very familiar with children, considering he had been alone during that particular stage of life—then shrugged. "Why don't you play their board games with them... And then ask them kindly if they will play what _you _would like to play, Tidus?"

Tidus hesitated, eyes sullen, then gave a watery smile and sniffled. "I guess."

Nodding in approval, Riku flashed a slightly bigger smile this time—his muscles ached, so it disappeared quickly—and pulled out his pocket watch again. Seventeen minutes since they had entered the orphanage. Damnit...

Feeling a curious gaze watching him, Riku looked up, blinking, to stare into suddenly shining blue eyes. Tidus' lips spread into a big grin. "You should smile more often, mister. It looks nice."

Riku raised an eyebrow slowly, lips pressing into a thin line. But as the child continued beaming at him, he felt his lips twitching of their own accord, and a moment later he was smiling just as cheerfully. It felt... awkward, but... somehow very nice.

"You know, mister... Time flies by when you're having fun."

"Er..." Riku's lips twisted into a puzzled frown.

"The watch..." Tidus pointed to it. "It's pretty. Can I see?"

"I—well, I suppose so." Riku held it out by the golden chain, fingers wrapped securely around it as Tidus' small hands held the watch in his hands.

"Woooow, mister...!" Tidus breathed softly.

"Riku," the silver-haired male reminded him.

"Eh? Oh—yeah. Sorry." Grinning sheepishly, Tidus released the watch, and it dangled in the air a moment, twirling, before Riku placed it back within his pocket.

"Alright, children!" Matron suddenly proclaimed, clapping her hands. Everyone looked up, eyes shifting to the woman, and Riku watched as Sora gave a small, disappointed frown, releasing the girl he was currently holding in his arms.

"It's time to go to bed!" the young woman announced. She flashed a soft smile at Sora and Riku. "And thank you so much for coming tonight. I'm sure the kids really appreciated it. Isn't that right, children?"

"Right!" the children chorused, then sighed, looking glum, and began to trail to a doorway behind the woman.

Tidus climbed to his feet as well, turning to go, but just as Riku also stood, the boy suddenly whirled back around, hugging Riku firmly around his middle. Riku tensed for a moment, expression stiff, before he relaxed just slightly, awkwardly patting the boy's head.

"Heehee," Tidus giggled, flashing a grin at Riku as he pulled away, then hurried off after the matron. Riku stared after him, a little stunned, and just before the blonde turned around the corner, he waved and said, "Good-bye, mister!"

Riku raised a hand slowly, hesitantly, and nodded once.

And then Tidus was out of sight.

It wasn't until he felt Sora's shoulder brush his own that Riku realized he had been staring after the children. He didn't turn his face to meet Sora's smile, which he knew was present—he could practically feel it emanating off the other man.

"You're not so cold after all, are you?" he said, prodding Riku hard in his side.

Finally the older man turned his head, giving Sora a blasé look. "Whatever."

"You sound like Leon now," the brunette chuckled, latching onto Riku's arm and pulling him towards the back of the orphanage. "C'mon, let's go."

Confused as to why they weren't heading towards the way they had come in, Riku asked in a surprised voice, "We're not leaving?"

"No, there's something else I wanted to show you."

And this time, when Riku met Sora's eyes, he found that he didn't really mind Sora's contagious smile.

--

Riku had never been around so many cats in one place in his life. Granted, there was only six or so, but it was still slightly unnerving. The funny thing about it was... he hadn't thought that Sora was a cat person. At all. A few minutes ago, when Sora had requested warm milk from Matron, Riku had been confused as hell, but now he understood.

Sora not only came to the orphanage to visit with the children, but came for the stray cats as well. The guy even talked to the felines as though they were actual people, his voice drawing out into a cute croon as he knelt on the wooden porch, petting as many of the cats as he could at one time.

"Can you hear them purring? Hehe, they're so cute..."

Fighting back a grimace and hoping he wouldn't have fur all over himself when he left this place, Riku crouched next to Sora, clearing his throat. A cold, dry nose brushed Riku's outstretched hand, as if to sniff out whether or not he was a friendly person, before a warm sandpaper tongue scraped across his thumb, a tender action as rough as it was. The kitten that had singled him out was calico, a true stray, black, brown, peach, and white all over, a high, stuttering purr issuing from its small body as it began to rub against his black pant leg.

He slid a hand over its cold fur, feeling its strong muscles ripple under his curious touch. Its winter coat was remarkably soft, reminding him of the velveteen bear he'd handled earlier, and he couldn't help tracing his fingers back over the kitten's back, smiling faintly at the way the creature arched happily into his touch, rubbing its face almost desperately into his wrist, seeking more affection.

When Sora set the two bowls of milk down, however, the kitten pulled away from Riku and darted over to Sora, crowding with the other cats around the porcelain dishes to drink its Christmas treat.

Riku curled his hand in, feeling his fingers tingling from where he had been petting the small cat, and it wasn't until he looked up that he noticed Sora was watching him with a fond look.

"So your name is Riku, huh?" he said, warm smile still in place, his eyes lowering to watch the cats bustle over the milk. "I like how it sounds..."

Not sure how to reply to such a personal comment, Riku lowered his face as well, listening to the lapping of small tongues and milk. A frigid breeze made him draw his arms around himself, pulling his coat in tighter, his silver hair trailing like soft feathers behind him in the gust of wind.

Even when Sora raised his head to study him again, Riku didn't look at him, allowing the younger man to stare, to study, as uncomfortable as it made him feel. Out here in the icy air, alone with Sora and the cats, he felt surprisingly tranquil. He felt calm often, but... this kind of peace was strange. Warmhearted, almost. He would have felt comfortable, if not for Sora's stare.

"Do you have a small family?" the brunette wondered, reaching down to idly stroke a cat's back. Riku saw him play with its tail before releasing it, watching it twirl in annoyance.

"Yeah," he replied shortly, hoping the guy didn't inquire further.

He didn't. Sora smiled to himself, playing with the cat's tail again. "My family is huge. Overwhelming sometimes. I have a younger brother and sister, and an older brother, and both my parents... Six of us might not seem like a lot but for what room there's left at the table, my mom makes up for with her crazy antics. My entire family is crazy, really... except Cloud. He's a little sullen. You'd probably like him. Anyway... My mom loves to invite people to dinner, without my permission or not, because most of the time her invites are my friends. Artemis and Rairune and Leon for example. Always eating over. It gets annoying, so many people in my small house..."

Riku raised an eyebrow at the babbling, letting the other man continue on in his own little world.

"It doesn't help that most of them get really hyper easily. Sometimes I'm really glad I live on campus, but... It's been a really nice vacation, being back at home a little while." He paused, glancing up at Riku with smiling blue eyes. "You probably don't know what it's like, right?"

"I don't."

"Thought so..." Sora's fingers rubbed into a kitty's head, stroking behind its ears almost lovingly. "I have a cat at home too. Izzy. She's perverted. Do you have any pets?"

Riku shook his head. "Used to have a bird when I was a kid. That was a long time ago though..."

"Oh. How old are you?" Sora wondered.

"Twenty-two."

"Heh, damn... I'm a year younger," the younger man laughed, rising to his feet and brushing off his knees. "I knew you were going to be older, but... I dunno." He smiled, rubbing the back of his head.

A soft buzzing sound cut into the conversation, and it wasn't until Riku saw Sora pull out a cell phone that he realized what the noise had been. Sora gave a short "hehe" when he saw who was calling him, and he flipped the phone open, voice bubbly.

"Hey Mom."

The voice on the other line was loud enough to be heard as though Riku was the one with his ear pressed to the cell.

"Sora-honey, when are you getting home? I'm almost done with dinner!"

"Uhhh..." Sora hesitated, glancing at Riku briefly. "I just got off work, but I'll be there soon. Got distracted."

"You're with someone, aren't you?" the woman's voice accused in a strangely happy voice.

"Yeah, but Mom—"

"Bring him home for dinner!"

"Mom, you don't know him."

"Ohhh, it **is** a _him_? What's his name, hmm?"

"........Riku." Sora shot Riku an apologetic look. "Do you want to eat with us? My mom won't give up otherwise anyway."

"Is he cute? Your friends are always so cute. Ahh, you have such good taste, Sora."

"_MOM_. Hold on." Sora put a hand over the receiver of his cell and grinned sheepishly at Riku. "So do you want to come?"

His silver head was already shaking in response, and Sora, still covering his cell phone, looked at him with hurt eyes, as though he really expected Riku to accept the offer. His bottom lip poked out a little, a cute pout forming on his face as he looked down, watching the kitties rub against his legs, done with their milk and expecting more love from him.

"My mom is a really good cook! She'll probably throttle me if I let you go. And you'll love my family. And, um..." Sora trailed off, worrying his lip for a moment. "I know I kind of just pulled you into all of this without asking you if it was okay, but I've had fun... Besides, you have nothing else to do, right?"

Those blue eyes rose to meet Riku's again, silently pleading. Somehow that look really bothered him, seeing the usually happy face now filled with uncertainty, worry.... and fading hope, as Riku took longer and longer to reply.

As the kitten from earlier nuzzled into his pant leg, Riku gave a small sigh, raking a hand through his hair.

"I suppose."

With a happy cry and a smile brighter than his usual ones, Sora leapt at Riku, pulling him into a big hug.

"Thanks so much!! You'll love it!! Yeah, Mom, he's coming! See you then!"

An awkward feeling fluttered in Riku's gut, confusing him as to why this guy was affecting him so much. It couldn't be the whole Christmas spirit thing—that was just dumb! But if it wasn't _that_, then... Why did he feel so suddenly relieved to see Sora's smile again?

As Sora's gloved hand wrapped around his numbing fingers and tugged him back towards the door to head home, Riku mused that maybe a family dinner wouldn't be too bad after all.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	2. Ch 2: His Mad Life

**_Author's Notes:_**

_Uzumaki-sama:_ Sorry for the delay. My muse fell asleep.

_Vash's Girl:_ XO Feel the Christmas-y fluff, even though this is post Christmas. You can just thank Uzumaki's muse for that. You know, MINE works. Granted, not all the time, but it still WORKS. At least it's AWAKE. ::shakes fist:: Nonetheless... Heh, at least it wasn't rushed?? o-o Hope you enjoy.

**_Disclaimer:_**

Nothing belongs to us except Izzy (VG's cat), Artemis and Rairune, Seiya and San, and the plot (or lack thereof). Sion is from _The Bouncer_.

* * *

_For Dark Ki—_

_Because we love you and wanna sex you up!_

* * *

**_Chapter 2_** – _His Mad Life_

--

"Moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom!" Sora cried as he opened the door to his house, walking into the front foyer and ushering Riku inside. "C'mon on in." He beamed a smile, blue eyes bright. "It's cold outside, Riku!"

Riku shot him a withering look, rubbing his arms as his teeth chattered. Before, when he had ventured to the café, he had been so deeply immersed in his thoughts that he hadn't particularly noticed the cold. But now that Sora was taking him all over the town, and Riku wanted only to go back home and slip beneath his warm covers, he was envisioning the brunette dying a slow, horrible death—

"Sooooooooooooooooooooraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" a cheerful voice rang out, and before Riku could process what was happening, there was a blonde blur of movement and a blob of green was attached to Sora's chest. The thing kissed his cheeks, all over his face, squealing excitedly and clutching to him like a life-line.

Riku blinked. Twice.

Sora laughed, grabbing the thing by its sides and pulling it away from him. "Hey, Rikku—stop it!"

"But I'm not—" Riku began to point out softly, only for the thing to let out a high-pitched whine, blinking big, green eyes at Sora cutely and sticking her lower lip out. It was a little girl with a mop of braided blonde hair atop her head, and chocolate was smeared on her cheeks. The green Riku had only been able to make out was her pajamas, covered in Scooby Doo. Her little feet, the silver-haired man noticed, were also covered in Scooby Doo slippers.

She was... adorable, if not for the chocolate.

"Hey, you're really dirty," Sora observed with amusement. "Been eating again? You're going to get fat, Rikku!"

"I am noooot!" she wailed. "MOMMY, SORA'S BEING _MEAN AGAIN_!"

From somewhere deep within the warm house, a high, teasing voice called back. "Well, tell Sora that if he doesn't get his sweet tush over here to help lick the cake bowl, I'm gonna give it awaaay!"

At first Riku was slightly confused about this threat, but one glance at Sora and the boyish pout of disappointment on his face told Riku all he really needed to know.

"Hey, that's not fair!!" Sora whined, setting the squirming mass of little girl down. "I just got home!!" He paused to kick the door closed before beginning to undress in a hurry, throwing his scarf, gloves, and coat off onto a chair nearby, already halfway down the hallway before Riku even knew what was happening. And with Sora gone, he was left with the waist-high menace that seemed to be the other man's sister.

Wide green eyes stared up at him, cheeks rosy and chocolate-painted lips parted slightly in wonder. "Are you Sora's _girlfriend_?" she asked in her tinny, elementary-school voice.

Riku, already slightly annoyed by the fact this little girl's name sounded so much like his, regarded her with a quiet, sullen look that should have discarded any belief that he was Sora's 'girlfriend.' The girl must not have caught the look.

"Wooow, Mommy will be really happy to see you!!" she giggled, reaching out with a sticky hand to grab the sleeve of Riku's coat. "C'mon!!" she urged, tugging him the way Sora had gone. She glanced up with a grin almost identical to the one Sora kept giving him. "You should smile! You look like the boogeyman!"

His eyebrow twitched slightly. The _boogeyman_? he wondered. Why did he look like the boogeyman of all things a child could come up with? And a _girlfriend_?! He was by no means a girl!

Riku barely had time to look at the living room—a gigantic Christmas tree, its tip brushing the roof, stood in the far corner, currently being suffocated by hundreds of blinking colored lights and singing carols; two couches, threadbare and cozy; a TV, DVD, the works, and an entertainment system; candles lit in various areas (i.e., the window, et cetera); and a fire warming the fireplace—

"_Chestnuts roasting on an open fire_..." an old stereo crooned softly.

By the time Riku was entering the kitchen, catching brief glimpses of pictures as he was yanked through the hallway, there was a steady throbbing behind his left eye, not to mention the continuous ticking beneath his right one.

Sora was talking to a young woman standing by the stove who brandished a wooden spoon as she yapped away at the poor brunette. Her brown hair was long, tied back into a braid—it was beginning to frizz, no doubt from the heat—and her blue eyes were narrowed into a little glare, but... they were warm, affectionate.

Riku stared. His mother had never looked at him that way...

"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" Rikku chimed, tugging firmly on his hand suddenly so that he stumbled forward. "Look who's here! It's Sora's _girlfriend_!"

Very suddenly, he was the target of that slight glare, the young-looking woman regarding Riku skeptically before she got a really good look at him. But when she did, those blue eyes widened much like her daughter's had, and Riku had a creeping suspicion he was going to be the victim of Twenty Questions tonight. Beautiful.

"Oh—!" the woman gasped, clutching her spoon with both hands, a blush crossing her cheeks as she give Riku a twice-over... again. "Hi! Sora didn't tell me you were so _handsome_!!" And then, as a second thought, she crouched over and whispered to her daughter, "Honey, that's not his girlfriend. Remember, Sora said he was bringing home a boy?"

Rikku's eyes lit up. "Ohhh, Sora's _boy_friend!!" she giggled, bouncing excitedly as Sora made a show of groaning in protest.

"Mooom, stop giving her ideas!" he said, grabbing the brown ceramic bowl on the counter that had a bit of chocolate smeared over the rim. He gave Riku an apologetic look as he cradled the bowl. "Riku, this is my mom, Seiya. I know she looks like she's still in high school, but trust me, she's nearing menopause. And mom, this is Riku—and before you ask, _no_, he doesn't want to try your experimental Christmas stuffing."

She gave a pout very similar to Sora's from earlier, and it was slightly off-putting for Riku, who once again felt out of place amongst so much familiarity.

"You ruin all my fun," Seiya huffed, turning her nose up dramatically. "See if you get dinner tonight."

"What? Mooom!!!"

And at Sora's sudden whining, Riku shook his head. It wasn't until he felt the tug at his long coat that he remembered Rikku was still there. He glanced down at her, hearing her giggle. The look she was giving him was slightly unnerving. Though he had been comfortable around Tidus earlier, he actually wasn't very good with children.

"We have the same name!" she beamed.

"Er..." was all Riku managed to get out for a long moment as those green eyes sparkled up at him enthusiastically. "We do, don't we?"

"Oi! Seiya!" a thick accent abruptly proclaimed. "I finished fixing the furnace down in the basement with San! It's all spiffily beautiful and hot and—Oh! Why, hello there! And who is this fine piece of arse standing here in this cozy atmosphere?"

An arm, slender, yet unbelievably strong, suddenly snaked its way around Riku's shoulders, and as Riku turned his head, he was met with merry brown eyes staring deeply into his. Black hair framed the heart-shaped face now hovering in front of his, a grin crossing the newcomer's full lips.

"You're a cutie, darling," the strange man practically purred.

Riku stiffened, unused to such affectionate touching, and made to push the other male away before Seiya grabbed his ear, pulling him off.

"Artemis! You can't just molest strangers like that!"

"I wasn't molesting him!" Artemis protested, hissing in pain and batting at Sora's mother. "Jesus, woman, I'm allowed to ogle the poor soul! Blimey!"

"Momm-y, what's molesting mean?"

"Artemis!" Sora exclaimed, cheeks heating with a furious blush. His blue eyes were bright with obvious embarrassment as he glanced meaningfully at Riku. "Not tonight!"

Artemis pouted. "No one loves me..." He sighed dramatically, placing the back of his hand to his forehead, the other to his heart, and closing his eyes. "Alas! I am alone in this bitter world! Thou art cruel, Sora! Thou art cruel!"

Sora rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Cut the dramatics, Drama King."

"Queen," Artemis corrected cheerfully.

Riku didn't know what to think. Too many people were talking at once, bustling around him, fussing over him, over each other, touching, being affectionate, over-all cheerful, and it was... it was...

It was...

**_Suffocating._**

This wasn't helped when even more people piled into the small kitchen, new faces, new voices, all bustling around him as he stood there, confused, wondering yet again what the hell he was doing here. It was all so foreign to him, this warm, happy family atmosphere, so intimidating, and no one seemed to notice at all, or care about his discomfort.

"Hey Cloud! How was work?" a cheery voice called—Riku wasn't sure because of the chaos around him, but he thought it was Sora speaking.

The tall, handsome blonde that had just entered the kitchen seemed to be "Cloud," for he replied with a weary sigh, dragging a hand through his Sora-like spikes. "It's Christmas season. What do you think?"

Before Riku could listen for a response, the tiny hands tugging at his coat caught his attention, and with an increasingly foul mood, it was hard for him to look relatively friendly as he glanced down at the two children at his waist.

"Sion, Sion look! Isn't Mr. Riku really pretty? I claimed him, so you can't have him!"

The child named Sion, who looked like he could have been a six-year-old Sora, looked up at Riku with large blue eyes. "H-HI!!!"

Too many hands pulled at him, sticky, curious, prodding, pulling, testing—and he was about to scream when a deep male voice cut in through the cacophony of giggles and conversation, silencing everyone at once.

"Hey! Let's give the kid some slack!"

And all at once, the children squealed with glee—"DADDDYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"—and immediately left Riku, rushing over to grab their father as he laughed and swung them up in his arms.

The man looked young, like Seiya, but there were laugh lines around his green eyes, and his hair, blonde and soft-looking, was slightly spiky, a hair trait that Sora and Cloud had obviously inherited. He was covered in black—soot?—and his clothes were a little rumpled, but other than the slight weariness on his face—a long day?—he was like... A burning light.

Riku's lips pressed into a soft frown. His father had never been that happy...

"Grrrr!" the blonde man mock-growled. "Are you two heathens behaving?"

"Yessssssss!" Rikku cried as Sion giggled and nuzzled his father's cheek, then smacked a wet kiss on it.

"Noooo!" Sora protested mock-angrily and rustled his sister's blonde hair.

"San," Seiya said, smiling sweetly and wiping her flour-covered hands on her apron. "Is the furnace fixed?"

"Yes," he replied, setting his children down and beaming as he kissed both their foreheads. "Thanks to Artemis."

Artemis struck a pose, raising his arms and flexing his muscles. "Oh, yes, I am that man, oh."

Sora rolled his eyes again. "Spare me."

"Spare you? Aha-ha-ha! Don't be ridiculous Sora, why would I spare rap—"

"Shhhh!" Sora said frantically, blushing a brilliant red.

Artemis stuck his tongue out, mahogany eyes crossing. "You're just so molestable, Sora—"

"_Mommy_!" An impatient stomp of feet. "He just said it _again_! What's molestable mean?!"

"Rikku, honey, why don't you help Sion and Cloud set the table, hmm?" Seiya said pleasantly, avoiding the question easily as she returned to cooking.

"Aww, but Moooom!"

"I want to stay with Mr. Riku!!"

"Yeah, he's really cool!"

"Can we keep him?"

Riku couldn't understand for the life of him why these children were already so attached to him when he hadn't even uttered a word. Expertly swiping his fingers around and around the bowl of left-over chocolate cake mix, Sora grinned at the silver-haired man, a smudge of brown already on his chin. With a twitchy glare and false grin to meet Sora's amused expression, Riku reached down to ruffle the children's hair.

"Listen to your mother, alright?" he said, feeling something warm pique his heart as he watched Rikku and Sion beam up at him.

They simultaneously nodded and giggled, bouncing over to latch on to Cloud, who shot Riku a curious but grateful look as he turned to leave the room.

"C'mon, let's clean off the table."

"Okay!!"

With the monsters gone, Riku relaxed a little, breathing a sigh of relief and raking a hand through his hair.

"Danceeeee!" Artemis suddenly cheered, and he began to wiggle his butt around the kitchen.

"You don't have any siblings, do you?" San said, green eyes focusing on Riku intently, who only shook his head and bowed it, gaze flickering to the floor in almost embarrassment. "I can tell."

Riku's eyes snapped up, and he opened his mouth to demand what _that_ was supposed to mean, but San only chuckled a waved a hand, expression warm.

"It's just—the way you handle children. You're very quiet." He smiled kindly. "You don't speak much, do you?"

Seiya began dancing with Artemis. They pressed their butts together and shook them.

"Er... Not really," Riku replied quietly. "I haven't got anything to say."

"Danceeeee!" Artemis and Seiya crowed. Sora eyed them oddly.

"That's sad," San replied, placing a comforting hand on Riku's shoulder, and the silver-haired man couldn't find it in himself to move away. Not with those warm eyes gazing firmly into his own.

"Stay for supper."

"Danceeeee!"

"Will you two cut it out?!" San cried in exasperation. "I'm trying to invite him to stay for dinner!"

Without missing a beat, Seiya giggled—"Already invited!"—as she finished her dance with Artemis and returned to her cooking, now brandishing a spatula. "I called Sora while he was out! This is Riku, honey."

"Ri-ku, eh?" came Artemis' thick accent, and Riku turned, promptly narrowing his eyes in silent warning as the other man swung his hip out, eyeing him with a mischievous look. "Hehehe..."

"Artemis, stop ogling!" Seiya snapped, though her voice was riddled with playfulness. "Do me a favor and get on the phone and see why Runie's late!"

The man in question placed his hands over his heart, looking hurt while managing to still grin like an idiot. "Oi, Seiya! I wasn't plannin' anything, I swear!"

"Riiight—Go get yourself to the phone, mister, or I'll—"

"I'm goin'! Sheeeesh!" He waved a hand, laughing, brushing past Riku with a long wink.

As soon as he was gone, San chuckled, and everyone's attention returned to Riku. A large hand came down and patted the silver-haired boy on the shoulder. "Pleasure to meet you, Riku. You a friend of Sora's, or...?"

Sora cut in this time, holding up a chocolate-covered finger. "Met him at work just a few hours ago, actually." And then he smiled, looking proud of himself for whatever reason. Riku was beginning to worry about the sanity of the members of Sora's family.

San blinked. Once. Twice. Finally, his hand fell away from Riku's shoulder. The boy immediately felt relaxed, though a little guilty—he understood San's intentions, he supposed, but... he didn't feel very comfortable with people touching him...

"...A few hours ago?"

"It's okay, San!" Seiya assured cheerfully.

But he didn't look convinced. "...Hm..."

_My thoughts exactly_. Riku's eyebrow rose.

"Yeah, c'mon, Dad, he's a cool guy."

"Not to mention really fine..." came the now-familiar accented voice as Artemis re-entered the kitchen, cell phone in hand.

"Artemis!" the members of the kitchen groaned.

"Okay, okay! Sheesh! And in any case, it's not like Sora can't defend himself." Grinning, the raven-haired man did a quick chop in the air, eyelid pulling down in a suave wink. "Hiya!"

Sora blushed hard, red coloring the tips of his ears, and he sulked around his finger, taking it out of his mouth briefly to mutter, "Artemis, I haven't taken Karate since the first grade..."

"Dolt!" Artemis smacked a hand to his forehead, raising his eyes to the heavens as if to ask for some form of divine inspiration. "Don't _tell _him that! Now he knows you're really a scrawny boy that couldn't defend for himself if he tried!"

"Yeah—wha?! HEY!"

"Heeheehee... OW! Don't kick me!" Artemis griped, hopping around the kitchen and clutching his shin. "You lot are so bloody abusive..."

Sora gave a sharp "Hmph!" before going back to his bowl of chocolate, his face still an interesting shade of red as he cast Riku a cautious glance or two, who was looking quite confused because he honestly didn't know what to think with all this commotion around him.

"San, if you could start placing the dishes on the table—"

"Oh, right. Almost ready, then?" San asked, grabbing a giant bowl of mashed potatoes from the counter, cradling it carefully as he moved toward the dining room.

"Yup, just a few more minutes now! Art, did you get ahold of Runie yet?"

"Getting right on it!" Artemis replied, flipping open his cell. Riku watched as the man speed-dialed a number and held the phone to his ear, leaning casually against the far counter next to Sora.

As if sensing Riku's gaze, the boy looked up from finishing cleaning the bowl, pausing in mid-lick to blush again. He quickly turned around to avoid the awkward tension, setting the bowl in the sink and turning the tap on to fill it with water.

"C'mon Runie, bloody hell! Pick up the pho—OH!" Artemis' face suddenly split into a sheepish grin. "There you are!"

"So he's still alive?" Seiya laughed, tackling biscuits with her spatula.

Artemis cast her a warning, playful glare. "Yes, darling, I'm here. ...Heehee, I love you, too, sweetcakes—"

An indignant squawk so loud it hissed over his cell phone, "Do NOT call me sweetcakes!"

"Sugar plum!"

"ARTEMIS!"

"Geeze, you're grouchy today." Artemis pouted, fingers tapping lightly against the counter's surface in no particular rhythm. "...Anyway. Are you coming to dinner? ...Yes, tonight! ...You forgot? ...Predictable. ...I love you, too," he said dryly.

Riku blinked, brows furrowing, and his eyes followed the line of Sora's body as the younger man reached up into a cabinet, standing on his tiptoes as his hands curled around a stack of shiny plates. The brunette's body was really lean, slender, his waist small enough that Riku was sure his hands could fit comfortably around it. Hmm...

Artemis was coyly winking at him.

Realizing that his gaze had drifted farther down to Sora's cute little tush, Riku's face blossomed into a fine blush, and he cast a pointed glare at Artemis so hard that the older man shivered, waving a hand in surrender before continuing to chat on his cell.

"Hey—! Pay attention, Riku!" Sora suddenly pushed some plates into his hands. "Come on, lay those on all the seats around the table, I'll get the silverware and stuff, m'kay?"

"...okay..."

But just as Riku was leaving the kitchen, he heard the sharp snap of a cellphone closing, followed by an amused laugh from Artemis.

"Runie's on his way."

"What happened?" Seiya wondered, stuffing a large bowl of warm biscuits into the man's hands.

Sora and Riku watched as Artemis grinned, easily handling the bowl in one arm. "He got caught up in his videogames. You know how he gets sometimes."

An "Ahhh" of understanding resounded in the kitchen, and once again Riku felt completely out of the loop and like a total foreigner. San and Cloud returned to the kitchen, and Riku followed Sora into the dining room, and the next few minutes were pure chaos, two tiny children weaving amongst adults as everyone worked together to set the very large table.

Family dinner was something Riku had never had the chance to appreciate, for his parents always preferred eating out alone, leaving him to fend for himself or order delivery with the money they would leave him. He knew that some time in his past his family must have eaten together, at least a handful of times, but he couldn't recall any specific memories.

He felt so... different here, because of that...

"Sora, you and Riku can sit here—OH, Sora!! You forgot to take his coat!"

Riku's silver head rose in surprise as hands were suddenly grabbing at him again. He did consider telling them it was alright, but he realized that eating with his coat on was probably a little impolite, though he hadn't really dressed for a family dinner... Managing a small, polite smile at Seiya and Sora as they hurriedly unbuttoned and removed his long overcoat, he tried to hide his awkwardness at being the center of attention again.

"Oh, wow, look at you!" Seiya giggled, stepping back to get a good look at Riku without his excessive coat. Underneath, he was wearing what he'd worn to the university earlier that day—and for a second he cursed himself for not spending more time at home, at least to change. While everyone else was wearing colorful warm sweaters and pajama pants and such—except for Sora who was still in his work uniform, and Artemis who had on a simple, conservative black turtleneck and a pair of jeans—Riku stood out in his expensive black corduroys and gray clingy cashmere turtleneck. Very anti-seasonal.

Though Sora had already seen Riku coatless back at the café, Riku hadn't been standing, and hadn't been in this comfortable/uncomfortable atmosphere, surrounded by people, and...

Well, he was very unnerved by all the stares he was receiving now, especially Artemis from across the room... and whilst everyone else didn't mind ogling Riku the Stranger, Cloud seemed very nonchalant, casting him a quick glance before looking away again, pushing his tiny brother and sister to their seats at the table.

Riku knew he was good-looking by normal standards—goodness, he'd gotten enough love confessions in his youth even _with _his cold demeanor, so he understood that... but did people have to _stare_?

"You probably don't have any color in your wardrobe, do you?" Sora teased, blue eyes bright as he smiled at Riku.

"Sometimes," was his simple answer.

The brunette blinked once at the fact that Riku had answered, then grinned, prodding his side and ushering him to sit down. "C'mon, you can sit next to me."

"Ooo! Ooo! I want to sit next to Riku, too!"

"Waaaah! No, Artemis, you great big meanie! _I _wanna sit next to Riku!!! He's got myyyy name!"

"Move it, twerp, don't make me get nasty—HEY, don't pull my hair!! Owww!"

"Grrrr! Take that!"

"OW! Stop beating me!!!"

Riku stared on in amusement as Rikku giggled, continuing to kick the British man's shins, and finally Artemis snarled and reached down, picking up the girl, who issued a delighted shriek and began pulling his hair again. Riku winced slightly, his ears sensitive and unused to such loud shrieking, but no one in the room noticed as they laughed and situated themselves down at the table.

"Come here, Rikku, sit next to me," San said softly, holding open his arms.

"Okaaaay!" the blonde pouted, hurrying over to her father, and he boosted her up into her chair.

"That's a good girl," he soothed, long fingers moving through her hair, and she beamed a smile, clapping her hands giddily and looking around the table with bright green eyes. Riku stared at her for a moment, suddenly nostalgic, and it wasn't until Artemis sat down beside him that he shifted uncomfortably, green eyes shifting to Sora for some sort of rescue signal.

Either the brunette didn't notice or he was having too much fun at Riku's expense by letting the British man torture him—though Riku thought it was probably the former. "Runie should be here anyyyy minute!"

"Runnniieee!" Rikku squealed excitedly. "Runiiieeee! Runie's coming?! Uncle Ru-nie!"

Seiya smiled warmly at her daughter, San chuckled, and Artemis mocked choking, running a finger across his neck in a gesture of killing himself. Riku raised a quizzical eyebrow at him, to which Artemis merely grinned and patted his head as if he were a mere child, which earned a scowl in response—gone ignored, of course.

"Runie's not so great, now, Rikku," Artemis assured the child.

"YES, he IS!" Rikku cried indignantly, lower lip pouting out sharply.

"Shhh, Rikku," San said softly. "Keep it down, okay?"

"Nyahhhhh!" Artemis pulled down on his right eye, sticking out his tongue.

"Oooooo! MEANIE!"

"Pfffttt—yeah, right." Artemis dried his voice conspiratorially. "We both know that _I _wear the pants—"

"Thanks, Art," came a dry voice, and everyone jumped and whirled, startled, as they had been intent on the conversation between child and man. "I'll be sure not to let you sleep over tonight."

"What?! Ack, nooo!" Artemis cried, and he leaped onto his...

_Boyfriend?_

Riku frowned.

The newcomer—obviously Rairune—was... short. A head shorter than Artemis and Riku, give or take. Even shorter than Sora. But... his cute features made up for it, and though girly, he was quite attractive. His hair was a deep chestnut brown, what looked like natural red highlights glimmering from its layered depths beneath the dining room table lights. The young man's eyes were a deep, chocolate brown, almond-shaped and very gorgeous. His lips looked as if they might have been made to smile, but at the moment, they were pressed into a thin line, and his face was contorted into a glare directed at the British man.

"Get off me."

"I love you!" Artemis chirped, nuzzling cheeks with him and clinging to the smaller body.

Riku's eyebrows rose in response, and he could feel his cheeks warming, so he turned his head, embarrassed. He missed Sora's contemplative look, as well as Seiya's devious grin, both of whom were studying the silver-haired stranger closely.

"Ugh... I don't know why I bother with you..."

"Because you love me, too!"

"...whatever."

Artemis only grinned, squeezing him tighter, as if he were a cute stuffed animal, and hearts were practically shooting out of his eyes.

"I think Runie's been taking lessons from Leon again," Sora snerked, and the newcomer's glare immediately settled on him, softening a little.

"I'm sorry I almost forgot to come."

"Runie!!"

"Uncle RUNIE!!"

Riku watched with slight amusement as two small bodies collided with Runie's legs. For a moment he sympathized with the smaller man, who looked a little awkward with Sion and Rikku clinging to him now—he looked a lot like Riku had earlier. And, Riku mused with relief, he now wasn't the only one not dressed for a family dinner, as Rairune had on wine-colored leather pants and a black hoodie that had a red arrow pointing southward. Very, uh... lewd.

The small man grimaced as Sion and Rikku tugged on the sleeves of his hoodie and, along with Artemis' insistent push, moved him toward the dining table where everyone else was already seated. Riku noticed Artemis' hand slip a few times behind Runie, each time causing a new shade of red to cross the smaller man's face, though it didn't seem like anyone else noticed or cared. Definitely boyfriends.

"We're glad you could make it, sweetie," Seiya beamed. With her words, it was like the tension evaporated, San and the rest of the family talking again almost immediately, laughter bubbling around the table as conversations started up, but Riku kept his gaze focused on the newcomer and his boyfriend.

It wasn't until Rairune was almost to his chair that he noticed Riku was even there, those brown eyes widening in surprise as he paused there next to Artemis' chair.

"This is Riku," Sora chirped—

To which Artemis automatically added, "Sora's _friend_," as he made little quotation marks with his fingers.

Sora promptly nudged him, blushing, and while that innuendo didn't escape Riku, he found it hard to keep back a smile of his own. Even Runie had a small, amused tilt to his lips. Looking away from the other men, Riku caught Seiya's careful gaze, one of her eyes coming down in an encouraging wink.

Oh God.

They were all against him!

Riku lowered his head, scowling a little into his empty plate, feeling slightly... violated.

"Let's um—let's just say Grace!" Sora said hurriedly, holding out his hands, the tips of his ears a bright red. Seiya grasped his hand, and Sion grabbed hers, and Rikku grabbed his—and on and on around the table until everyone was looking expectantly at Riku, who had yet to hold on to Sora and Artemis' hands.

Blinking slowly, curious, and if he admitted it to himself, a bit nervous, he cautiously held up his hands. Sora's fingers brushed his hesitantly, then clasped firmly, and he frowned, lowering his eyes like everyone else when a little knot twisted in his stomach. Artemis's touch was unlike Sora's own, however—he grabbed all too eagerly, beaming like a bright bulb on a Christmas tree, and it took a moment for Riku to realize that the glare burning into his temple was coming from Rairune's direction.

He ignored it. It wasn't his fault Artemis was a lech.

Grace was said by Sora, and then they were muttering Amen and beginning to pass the respective bowls around the dinner table, laughing and chattering away as if it were an ordinary occurrence to have one such as Riku here, and maybe it wasn't so abnormal for them to dine with a complete and total stranger. The college student remained quiet, only answering a question if spoken to, green eyes flitting over the merry faces and the brightly knit sweaters. The food, he noticed, tasted superb, cooked with love, something he hadn't ever experienced before.

It took him a long moment to realize that he was jealous, and when he did, he immediately felt ashamed of himself. ...Jealousy... Well... maybe he couldn't consider himself above it, but...

"So how's Leon faring, Sora?" Seiya jabbered, taking a bite of her green beans and then waving her fork around enthusiastically. "Still Mr. Scrooge?"

"For the most part," Sora replied with a laugh, shaking his head. "But I know he's a big softy. He even let me off work early today!"

"Why didn't he come tonight?" came a new voice.

Riku glanced up and it took him a moment to realize that _Cloud_ had spoken. The older man hadn't looked up from his dinner to speak.

"He took the last shift tonight," Sora explained. "And no one else could take over. Besides, I think he knew we were going to invite him, so he made himself busy."

"Sly bastard isn't he?"

"Mommy what's a bastard?"

"Artemis, don't use that kind of language at the table!"

"Oops, sorry Seiya. Kids, a bastard is a type of fruit."

"......"

Laughter pooled around the table again, only broken by the clinking of forks and knives on porcelain. Riku ate very quietly, glad too many people weren't trying to bring him into the changing conversations. Though he did find himself wanting to ask questions, he didn't, thinking that probably after tonight he'd never meet Sora again anyway, or have to suffer through another family gathering like this.

Leon had the right idea, skipping out on this hectic dinner.

With that thought in mind, Riku took a bite of cranberry jelly—

GROPE.

—and promptly dropped his fork onto the table, yelping.

All the occupants of the table ceased in their conversation, staring up at Riku with wide, curious eyes, brows raised. Rikku blinked twice, mashed potatoes coating her lower face, Sion ignored the world around him and chewed on a piece of turkey, fingers covered in jelly. Seiya, San, and Cloud remained paused with their forks halfway to their mouths. Sora and Rairune looked suitably confused.

And Artemis smiled darkly at him, brown eyes twinkling with mirth.

Riku ducked his head, an embarrassed blush covering his face, and after a few seconds the family shifted, easily falling back into their conversation from before. Artemis's hand still remained on his thigh, however, as he chatted with San cheerfully, and the silver-haired man subtly lowered his fork beneath the table when he was certain all eyes were off him.

STAB!

"BLOODY HELL—"

The hand promptly fled.

Seiya huffed. "Artemis, what did I just say about language?!"

And the children crowed. "Bloody hell, bloody hell!! Heeeeee!!"

"Oh dear..." San laughed, shaking his blonde head as everyone giggled around the table.

"S-Sorry Seiya!!" Artemis grinned, though his expression was riddled with pain.

But did Riku feel guilty? Oh no. He smiled to himself, forking himself some mashed potatoes as Artemis inspected his wounded hand. This time Rairune's glare was set on his boyfriend, and the British man wilted under it.

"I love you, muffin?" he whispered.

"Hmrph," came the return hiss. "I'd like to see you try and get _anything _tonight."

--

The rest of dinner went relatively smooth with few incidents and Riku found himself relaxing and opening up a little more as the night went on. Even when the plates were cleaned and the family remained sitting to chat, Riku didn't mind, enjoying the old stories that were passed along. He heard about the time Sora used to think there was a troll living in his closet and used to sleep with a plastic lightsaber to protect himself at night, and the time Artemis was bit on the butt by a large dog and spent two hours answering questions to the police before he could be rushed to the hospital, and the time Rairune and Cloud were forced to cross-dress their senior year of high school and were suspended for 'being a distraction.'

More than a few times Riku found himself mesmerized by the sound of rich laughter, sounding in unison, echoing in the cozy dining room. This place was warm, so friendly... So unlike what he was used to. Yes, that nagging inside of him _was_ jealousy, but...

This atmosphere... It almost scared him, too. It was infectious. Even Cloud and Rairune, who at times seemed more sullen than Riku, were laughing with the others, eyes bright with mirth and love for the occasion.

And when Riku wasn't a part of the joke, or couldn't crack a smile...

It hurt.

When storytelling time and dessert was all over, Riku felt himself sink with relief, his stomach full and his heart feeling rather... floaty.

Now he could go home and sleep through the rest of the holiday and everything would be okay again. Or _not_ okay, since his life lacked the color, the _love_ that this family seemed to possess...

He rose from his chair as the rest of the group began to take plates and dishes to the kitchen, Artemis even joining in on the cleaning as Runie and Seiya stood off to the side to talk. Riku didn't just want to leave like this, without a word, so he thought he should at least thank the woman for the fine meal, and apologize to Sora...

But as he was approaching Seiya, two warm bodies attached to his legs, making him nearly topple over. He turned his waist, looking down to find Rikku and Sion beaming up at him with large, expectant eyes.

"You're going to stay, aren't you? Aren't you? Huh, huh?"

"C'mon, Mr. Ri-ku!!"

Oh great.

Riku grimaced, his smile rather pained. "I don't think so, I really...."

"Pleeeeease?"

Twitch.

He glanced up, looking for help, only to find Seiya gleaming at him with a look that basically said, _If you disappoint my kids, I'll tie you up in the basement and torture you with cooking utensils!! And give Artemis free reign over your body. Fufufu..._

And that, he decided, was a frightening concept.

Wilting under Seiya's look, he glanced away, catching Sora's eyes. The boy panicked for a second before grabbing another dish and hurrying to the kitchen, an embarrassed smile on his face.

Something about that shyness in Sora stirred Riku's curiosity, and that more than anything made up his mind.

"Alright... It's pretty late anyway," he said quietly, immediately flinching when the children gave loud squeals of excitement.

Seiya flashed him a bright smile. "Great! Riku's staying! How about you, Runie? Or are you..."

Looking suddenly like he'd been caught red-handed for something, Rairune quickly shook his head, cheeks coloring. He curled his hands into his hoodie, giving a small, pleased smile. "No, Artemis is staying over at my place."

"Ohhh, that's right!" the woman giggled, reaching forward to ruffle Runie's layered hair, the boy surprisingly not pulling away. "Well, you boys have fun, okay? Just be sure to visit sometime before Christmas is over."

A quick nod. "Alright."

That was when Artemis came sweeping out of the kitchen, grinning ear-to-ear as he gathered Runie up in a big hug. "Alright, we're set to go!"

"Murgh.. Let go," was Runie's response, his disgruntled look only half of what it had been before dinner had started. The shorter man glanced around, catching Riku's watchful gaze, and flushed, sinking into Artemis' embrace. "....."

Artemis grinned over at Riku, mussing Runie's hair, who squirmed angrily, definitely a different response from when Seiya had done it. "He gets embarrassed in public easily, hehe," Artemis explained, pinching his boyfriend's nose. "Don't you?"

"Artemiiiiissss..."

"Ack, don't bite!" Artemis promptly released the other man, grinning sheepishly over at Riku. "Well, it was nice grop—I mean, _meeting_ you, Riku," he said, and here he winked, slinging an arm over his seething boyfriend as he steered toward the door. "Ahahaha..."

"Bye Uncle Artemis!!! Uncle Runie!!" Rikku called, releasing Riku to chase after them, Sion following her tracks.

"Come back soon!! BYE!!"

"See you, kids!" Seiya called, smiling brightly as he crossed her arms over her chest, watching after them.

Riku gave a small wave as Runie glanced back at him, both of them smiling a little when Artemis was putting on his coat and not looking.

"See y'all later!" the British man grinned, blowing kisses at Riku and Seiya before swooping down to kiss the children on their cheeks. "MWAH! Behave, okay, and don't hang on Riku—he's Sora's okay?"

"Okay!"

As Riku gave a withering glare at that, Artemis grinned and Runie giggled, heading out the front door together... and then they were gone, leaving Riku as the main guest of this crazy family.

But thankfully, someone had decided to take pity on him.

"C'mon kids, bed time!"

"Aww, Daddy!!"

San laughed as he came from the kitchen, patting the kids on their heads. "No whining, it's time for bed," he said. "Give everyone kisses."

"Muu..."

"Alright..."

Rikku and Sion immediately bounced over to their mother, getting separate kisses before they were pushed over to Riku, Sion looking shy and Rikku brimming with excitement.

"Kiss!" she giggled, holding her arms up.

What the...? He was actually expected to kiss these children goodnight?

Not wanting to risk another scary look from Seiya, Riku knelt, studying their young faces quietly. They attacked simultaneously, wet lips smudging his cheeks before they both giggled and ran off, bumping into Sora who was on his way out of the kitchen.

"Ack, slow down!" he laughed, bending over to kiss them without prompting. "Sleep well and don't give Dad any trouble, or Santa won't bring you presents tomorrow night!"

Riku rose back to his feet just as the kids were running off again, his gaze meeting Sora's, who gave his usual smile, this time free of embarrassment. Wiping his wet cheeks with his long sleeve, Riku managed a small smile in return, so as to not discourage the brunette.

Seiya brushed past Riku, giving a quiet laugh as she pat his shoulder, moving towards Sora and the kitchen. "Well, you two go ahead and set up for bed. I'll help Cloud with the dishes. Goodnight!"

And just like that, he was alone with Sora again. Actually, it was a comforting type of loneliness, one he hadn't really appreciated until now, after such a hectic night with kittens and orphans with more to be thankful than Riku did, gay men with idle hands, and a crazy family with too much happiness to spare.

Oh yes, he was ready to sleep. Sleep like a log.

He gladly followed Sora as the younger man led him into the warm living room, the twinkling Christmas tree almost mocking Riku with its happy colors. The radio had sometime been turned off, and the shutters were closed over the fireplace, the remaining embers in the log stand glowing with a soothing orange.

They were going to sleep in here?

As though Riku had asked aloud, "Sion has my room now," Sora explained as he stacked the couch cushions off to the side and motioned for Riku to help him unfold the couch-bed. "So I've been sleeping here."

They heaved the frame out, its old springs and metal skeleton groaning in the quiet air. Sora smoothed out the few blankets that were already covering the tattered mattress.

"There," he said, stepping back. "Alright, this way—"

"So you're just visiting?" Riku questioned curiously, following Sora to the closet to grab the pillows and blankets they would need for the night.

"Yeah, just staying for Christmas break. Don't wanna stay at the dorm." Flashing a grin over his shoulder, Sora tossed him four pillows. "Mom's always prepared, see?"

Riku nodded, eyeing the closet stuffed full with towels, wash cloths, quilts, comforters, and pillows of all sizes and shapes. He raised an eyebrow slowly, amused, but his heart gave a strange twist of pain at the sight of all the worn items. Back at his house, his closet was nearly bare, filled only with a few towels for if he ever had a guest stay the night... and not one ever had. He _preferred _it that way, too. ...Didn't he?

A quilt hit his face.

"!!" Brows furrowing sharply, Riku shook his head free of it and glared over its soft, worn surface at Sora, who was laughing and closing the closet door with his foot, arms full with pillows and blankets.

"You looked zoned out. So I thought... why not hit you with something, right?"

Riku's glare did not soften.

"Oh, c'mon, it was just a _blanket_!" Sora mocked. "It didn't really hurt, did it?"

"No," Riku muttered angrily. "But that's not the _point_, Sora."

"Heehee." Sora stuck his tongue out playfully. "So? I think it is!"

Rolling his eyes, Riku followed him back into the living room, and they began to make their bed for the night. The silver-haired boy wasn't certain how he felt about sleeping in the same bed with somebody, but the family was nice enough, and he... didn't _think _he'd get raped in his sleep or anything.

He shook his head, issuing a soft sigh. No, he would be all right. There was _nothing _to worry about, even _if _he felt really strange and... awkward in this warm, cozy atmosphere.

Riku's fingers ran over the velvety surface of the quilts, and he looked at Sora questioningly. "Did you really buy all of these?"

"Nope! Mom made 'em." Sora laughed, hitting his pillows to fluff them up, then tossed them casually at the head of the bed. "You don't mind sleeping on this lump of rocks, do you? I know you're probably used to better beds, but our house is small, and... well..." He trailed off, but instead of looking sad, his smile was fond... affectionate. He really loved his family, and it was very noticeable.

Uncomfortable suddenly, Riku looked down and shook his head. "No, I don't mind." In truth, he didn't know _how _to feel about the whole bed-couch matter. After all, _his _furniture did not have them, and he had never slept on one before. He hadn't even _seen _one in his life.

Riku supposed the reason he was taking this whole night in easy stride was because it was... well... _different_. Something new and refreshing from the miserable life he led back at his house. Anywhere was better than that... that suffocating _Hellhole_.

"C'mon, Ri-ku!" Sora chirped, and Riku glanced up, blinking as he was drawn from his thoughts. "Let's get some sleep. It's been a looong night." His lips spread into a familiar grin.

"Sure," Riku replied softly, distantly, and complied by helping pull back the covers and climbing into bed.

"Oh, wait!" Sora suddenly exclaimed. "Clothes! You can't just sleep in _those_!"

Riku blinked, startled, and glanced up at Sora. It took a moment for him to digest what the brunette had said, but by then Sora was already hurrying up the stairs.

"Sora—it's fine!" Riku called after him as he disappeared to the second floor.

"No, it's not!" came Sora's muffled voice in return, and then silence.

Riku heaved another sigh, this one more soft, and allowed his eyes to shift to the Christmas tree brightly illuminated by colorful lights. The poor thing looked as if they had smothered it, along with the ornaments dangling freely from about every available space of branch.

He plopped down on his back, placing his hands to his forehead, and gazed up at the ceiling. What was he doing here? He didn't fit. He was... definitely out of place. This was—this was all _insane_.

Minutes later Sora came hurrying back down the steps—

"Sora, don't run!"

"Sorry, Mom!" _Thud, thud, thud, thud_!

—And came into view carrying a bundle of old clothing in his arms. He grinned sheepishly, setting them down beside Riku and rubbing the back of his head. "Here—Dad's letting you borrow some of his pajamas."

Riku lowered his hands, looking at Sora with a quirked eyebrow, then shook his head and took the proffered clothing, heading in the general direction of a bathroom.

"The left, Riku, not the right!"

He turned a sharp left, clearing his throat in embarrassment, and gave Sora a thankful nod before finding the bathroom a few feet down. He took off his clothes and began pulling on the pajamas—which were admittedly comfortable. There was a large shirt, white and covered in a giant Christmas tree...

"..."

...a gray sweater with a hole at one of the elbows...

"......"

...and a pair of green plaid boxers...

"........."

Riku stared at his reflection, fingertips running briefly over the shadows lurking beneath his eyes, and he shook his head, gathering up his clothing and stepping out of the bathroom. Turning off the light and shutting the door quietly behind him, he padded softly back into the living room, opening his mouth to thank Sora for being so thoughtful—

But the boy was already asleep beneath the covers, back facing Riku, soft snores filling the quiet, comfortable air.

Shaking his head again, Riku set his clothes down on the arm of the couch on his side of the bed, then crawled into it and rolled over so that his back faced Sora's. Slowly, his eyes drifted closed, and he nodded off to sleep.

Or so he thought.

An indeterminable amount of time later, and Riku's eyes were shooting open, staring into the darkness of the living room. The Christmas tree lights were off, meaning Seiya or San had probably unplugged them sometime earlier, and this was fine, but... but... _Something _had woken him up...

There was a butt rubbing against his.

Eyebrow twitching, Riku glanced over his shoulder to see Sora mewling softly, clinging to a pillow, lips curved into a happy little smile. The silver-haired male could feel his cheeks growing almost unbearably hot, and he sat up, gently pushing Sora away and giving the two some much-needed space. Ignoring the whimper of protest, Riku numbly rolled back over and allowed his eyes to flutter closed again.

Sleep.

Riku's eyes shot open for the second time that night. Sora's butt was rubbing against his _again_.

"...!!!"

"Muuuuuuu..." Sora mewled behind him, and giggled in his sleep. "...Muuuuuuu... Mmm..."

_Dear God...! _

Lips pressing into a thin line, Riku again sat up and moved Sora a safe distant away. Twitching and holding his hands out firmly, Riku huffed, bangs fluttering up at the gust of breath, and yanked the covers over his shoulder as he settled back down to sleep. It claimed him easily.

"!!"

Riku shivered, hands groping around for the blankets, but he found none available. Growling softly in his throat, Riku snatched them up in his hands after discovering that Sora was hogging them, and he pulled to receive some, but—

"Nu!" Sora huffed in his sleep, clinging to them firmly.

"_Sora_!" Riku hissed. "Give me the blankets!"

"Nuuuuu!" Loud protesting.

Riku frantically released them, making soft shushing noises, and patted Sora's shoulder gently to reassure the sleeping form that he had possession of the blankets. The brunette's snoring echoed around him, and after making sure that Sora's yelling hadn't woken anyone in the house up, Riku sighed and rolled back over, curling into a ball and shivering. Sleep didn't claim him so easily this time.

"......... Mmm..." Riku hummed, eyes slowly fluttering open. He felt warm... and _really _comfortable... But why? Had he managed to wrest some of the covers away from Sora while he had been asleep?

"Muuuu..." came a soft mewl—

Right next to his ear.

Suddenly more alert, Riku noticed that a pair of slender arms were around him and hugging him to a chest. His cheeks immediately flamed in a burning blush, and he choked in surprise, coughing violently in an attempt to gain his breath back.

"Sora...!" he gasped, sitting up and fighting furiously to disentangle Sora's limbs from his owns, but the brunette clung tightly, opening his mouth and unleashing a loud snore... and a full-frontal drool.

"Oh, gross..." Riku muttered, but his disgust was drowned out by how _warm _Sora's body was. It was... like a furnace. Comfortable, cozy, like this house, and...

Riku's eyes drooped heavily as his adrenaline left his body in a sudden rush. He sleepily fell back on his side, giving a jaw-cracking yawn, and Sora happily mewled, cuddling into his back and wrapping around Riku more securely.

_Oh, fuck it... _Riku thought drowsily. Sleep came as easily as it had the first time.

--

"Mrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwww."

Riku's eyes blinked open, and he stifled a sleepy yawn, running a hand over his face and into his hair. Sniffing, he licked his dry lips and tried to force away the nice, warm haze covering his mind.

"**_Mrrrrrrrowwwwwwww_**."

"Hm?"

Riku abruptly realized that a gigantic furball comprised of black, brown, and white colors was settled on his chest, and it was purring as it blinked amber eyes at him. A tail flicked idly behind it, and—claw-less?—front paws rubbed on his chest as it opened its mouth to issue another loud _Mrrow_.

"_Jesus_!" Riku yelped in surprise, sitting up and scrambling back, only to find himself suddenly on the floor seconds later and wincing as his elbow and tailbone throbbed in protest to this abuse. He hissed in pain.

"Mrrrrow." The cat stuck its butt up in the air and climbed onto Sora's chest next, who was waking up drowsily from the sharp, resounding _thud _Riku's body had managed to create as it kissed the floor.

"Ummm?" Sora blinked tired blue eyes over the side of the bed. "Who are you?"

".........."

There was a long silence in which Riku gaped at Sora, jaw hanging open, eyes wide with disbelief.

How the _hell_ could Sora put Riku through all that last night and _not_ remember who he was?!

Brows drawing together in an angry glare, Riku held up a finger to ask him this—

"OH! Riiiiiku!!" Sora breathed sleepily, smiling over the edge of the bed. "Sorry, brainfart, hehe. What're you doing on the floor...?"

".........."

"Mrrrrow...."

"Oh, hey Izzy," Sora crooned, running his hands through the cat's fur. "Hewwo my lil perverted kitty..."

_Puuuuurr._

".........."

"Yesh, you're so cuuute... _Smooch_."

"....Sora...?"

"Oh, yeah?"

"....never mind."

"Hehe, you're so weird, Riku."

"..........."

"C'mon, Izzy. Let's see if Mommy's awake and has breakfast!" Sora continued to croon, picking up his giant cat and cradling her as he slid out of bed, stretching his back. "Ohhh man, I slept great last night!"

"Mrrrrow...."

Riku considered throwing himself back into the couch-bed and sleeping until noon, but he realized that, with this family, it was probably not a wise thing to try. With a small groan, he climbed to his feet, raking a hand through his hair.

He glanced up to find Sora staring at him, the cat in his arms. "Wow, Riku."

"What?" he muttered. When he went to scratch his stomach, he remembered just what he had worn to bed, and sighed. "......"

"Hee, you fit right into my family now!" Sora said, and it seemed the cat agreed too, for her purring could be heard even from across the room.

".....I'm going to go get dressed," Riku grumbled, gathering his folded clothes in his arms as he got to his feet. "And then I'm going home. To sleep. Through the entire holiday."

"Waii! That reminds me! Happy Christmas Eve!"

"Mrrrow!"

Did nothing deter this man?

Riku sighed a quiet, "You too," before he brushed past Sora to head to the bathroom down the hall.

Unfortunately the bathroom was occupied when he reached it. The light was on and the door was open, so Riku just peeked right in, clothing tucked in the crook of one arm.

"Hello?"

"Ah—" Cloud suddenly glanced up, eyes wide, a short pencil hovering in front of his face. "Oh, you...." he sighed, almost in relief. He pressed the pencil to his eyelid as he returned his gaze back to the large mirror in front of him. "Riku, was it? Sorry, I'll be out in a minute."

Riku stared, blinking a few times in silence before he deemed it safe to ask. "Is that... eyeliner...?"

"Mm-hm."

"Ah."

He fell silent again, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Cloud seemed like he would answer some of Riku's questions without letting it get back to Sora... He didn't know why, but as glad as he was that he was going to be rid of this family in a few minutes when he left, he still wanted to know more about them. From the stories he'd heard last night during the dinner, he knew a few things, but...

"Hey, Cloud..."

"Yeah?"

"...is Sora gay?"

"....." At this, Cloud smirked, looking up at Riku through amused blue eyes. "You spent an entire evening with him, ate dinner with his family, and slept in the same bed as him... and you still don't know?"

"I just wanted to make sure," Riku replied in a flat voice, eyes narrowing slightly.

The blonde laughed, finishing up his makeup. "Well, yeah, he is. He dated Artemis and Rairune before _they_ got together. He's single, if you can't tell. My mom's been determined to hook him up again and you're the new victim. Couldn't you tell?"

"....yeah, I could."

"And what do you think of my little brother?"

"I'm not gay."

Another laugh this time, more of out disbelief now. Cloud put his various things away, brushing a hand through his spiky hair as he got to his feet from his stool, standing a few inches taller than Riku. A crooked smile was on his face as he gave Riku a once-over.

"Not gay, huh? Is that a statement of denial or have you just never tried?"

Riku's eyes hardened into a glare. "Whatever."

"You sound a lot like Leon now." Cloud's smile spread. "Well, I hope you had fun last night. You'll be subjected to more of that now that my mom knows your name and what you look like. She can be pretty obsessive, you know."

"Great."

"Yeah. Well, I have to get to work. Sora should be leaving soon too," Cloud sighed, and that was when Riku noticed he was wearing a sky blue polo shirt and black work slacks.

"...where do you work?"

"Diamond Dust," Cloud replied easily, turning back to the mirror to mess with his hair.

Riku cracked a smirk at that. "So Sora works with coffee... and you work with ice cream. I didn't see you as the friendly ice cream man type."

"I'm not," Cloud said, returning the smirk as he moved away from the mirror, heading to the door. "Anyway, maybe I'll see you around."

Riku brushed past him into the bathroom, shrugging. "Sure." And then he was closing the door behind him and stripping, eager to get back into his own clothes and away from this stiflingly friendly place.

--

"Ahhh!! I'm gonna be late!! Late late late late LATE, and Larxy is going to THROTTLE ME!!!"

Sora was rushing back and forth across the house as Riku stood by the door, waiting for him, hiding a smile at the other man's panicking. He stuffed a piece of toast in his mouth as he hopped on one purple-socked foot, tugging an orange sock on the other. When he got it on, nearly falling into the Christmas tree as he did so, he scarfed down the rest of his toast, looking around wildly.

Through his full mouth he managed to cry a muffled version of, "Where the heck are my shoes?!" just as his mother came from the kitchen with a small keychain.

"Sora, give this to Leon—"

"Okay, Mom!!" Sora gasped, grabbing the small gift—

"And this one to Riku—" she whispered, to where Riku couldn't overhear.

Sora's eyes widened in surprise at what it was, but he nodded, grabbing that one too and stuffing them both into his coat.

"Argh, shoes, shoes..." He hurried into the hall where Riku was still waiting.

"In here," Riku said quietly, pointing to the obvious shoe rack by the door.

"D'oh!! ThankyouRikuIloooveyou!!" he breathed, snatching them up, grabbing onto Riku's arm with one hand as he used his other to slip his shoes on like a pro. He'd obviously done this many times before. He beamed up at Riku when he was done, cheeks rosy from running around for the past half-hour in a panic. "Alright, let's go—!"

"Sora, make sure you call if you stay out!"

"Alright, Mom! See ya!" And Sora promptly grabbed Riku's other arm, snatching a colorful scarf and a pair of earmuffs from the wall rack, and dragged him out the door, heaving a huge sigh of relief. "Oh man, I'd better hurry," he laughed, glancing up at Riku again with bright eyes. "Larxene—the manager—she _will_ throttle me if I'm late! Leon's used to it, but _she_ can get kinda scary!"

Riku gave a soft laugh, shaking his head as they hurried to the sidewalk, the door slamming behind them. "Yeah, you better hurry..."

But Sora did the opposite, slowing his walk suddenly and pulling Riku to a stop as well. "Hey, um..."

"Yeah?" Riku turned, regarding the younger man with curious eyes, taking in Sora's flushed face, askew scarf, and worried expression.

Putting on a bright smile, Sora started to fix his scarf, adjusting it properly. "Well, I really had fun with you," he admitted, looking away as he continued to smile. "I don't just want you to walk away and... Well, it'd be awesome if we could be friends!"

Riku blinked, looking a bit muffed. He _had_ been expecting to just walk away and go back to his normal, boring life, actually... But...

That was a bit selfish.

He did have some fun last night, hadn't he...? Sora _was_ great company...

If Riku did walk away now, would it haunt him? Would he regret disappointing him?

"Sora..."

Taking Riku's tone of voice the right way, Sora jumped in, waving his hands. "I know I dragged you into all this, but I do want to get to know you better! Maybe just the two us? I know it would be a lot better than being alone, wouldn't it? Riku?"

Yeah... It would be better than being alone. Definitely. But....

"Sora, I'm not ga—"

But he cut himself off, blinking as those blue eyes widened expectantly at him, pleadingly, Sora's fingers curling tightly into his arm.

And he couldn't do it. He couldn't disappoint him.

"....sure....when are you free?"

Sora's body sagged with relief, his eyes shining with gratitude. "Five. Leon's taking over the last part of my shift," he replied, releasing Riku's arm with a smile. "Thank you so much! I didn't want to spend tonight at home... Cloud's going out tonight, and Art and Runie will be together, and I didn't want to be with my parents and the kids, so...."

Riku nodded, understanding, feeling a strange warmth settle on his heart. "Yeah, I get it. I'm not a fun person, so you'll have to do the planning," he warned.

"That's alright!" Sora assured, grinning. "I'll take care of it! You just show up at five!"

"Okay..."

But then Sora practically leapt onto him, eyes wide as he cried, "OHMIGOD!! I'M GONNA BE LATE!!"

And he was, by a few minutes. Riku and he separated down one of the main streets, waving goodbyes, Riku disappearing down the block with a parting smile. This alone was enough to inflate Sora's spirits and realize that, even if he _was _late, it'd been worth it.

He had a date tonight!! With a hot guy!!

Though, this was dampened a bit by the time Sora got to the Red Nocturne Café, for Larxene had a mad gleam in her eye.

"You're laaaate!"

"Muu, it's Christmas Eve!" he pouted as he came through the jingling door, a few of the morning patrons looking up as he arrived. He threw off his scarf and coat and earmuffs in the back, grabbed his apron and put it on. When he returned to the front, Larxene was tending to a customer, so Sora was free from punishment, if she had been about to give it at all.

He practically danced around the café all morning and early afternoon, mind swimming with images of last night and happy imaginings of later. A few times he caught himself singing as he worked, and though this wasn't a rare occurrence for a worker like Sora, it was a little more upbeat than usual today. Patrons brushed it off as seasonal spirit, but Larxene knew him better than that.

Sometime around four-thirty when he was dancing with his broom a little too enthusiastically, she let on the question.

"Get laid last night?"

He twirled around her, singing, "Must be dreeeeeam—" And then he stopped, her words sinking in. Ah, he had been asked a question. "Oh, what?" And then the _meaning_ of her words sank in. "WHAT?! NO! I, err..." and he trailed off, flushing, sweeping the floor more normally. "A person can't be happy these days?"

"Sora, you're already happy. Always," she pointed out, waving a chewed-on straw in his direction as she smirked at him. "Something's going on with you."

Once again picturing Riku's shy smile in his mind, Sora beamed, twirling with the broom. "Maaaaybe..."

"You're such a tease!"

"I'm not telling you anything!" he laughed, shaking his butt tauntingly he continued to sweep.

But a dry, slightly amused voice suddenly commented, "Real attractive, Sora."

The boy yelped, spinning with his broom to the door to find Riku standing there, looking fresh and a lot more alive than he had been this morning. A smile was even gracing his lips as he watched Sora blink in surprise. A part of him had been worried that Riku was going to skip out on him, never show up at all...

Yet here he was.

"Riku! I, oh—What time is it?!"

"Not five yet," Riku replied, brushing a gloved hand through his silver hair. "I came early. Was bored." And with that, he took a seat at the table he'd occupied the night before, not bothering to take off his trench coat.

Something about those curt words made Sora's heart swell even more, knowing that Riku had come early to be with him, even if his excuse had been boredom. Riku ordered nothing and thirty minutes passed quickly, the blonde-haired manager pulling Sora aside right before his shift ended.

"So what's with that hot guy sitting in the booth over there?" she whispered, nodding her head in Riku's direction. "You totally got all Mr. Shy when he walked in!"

Sora rubbed the back of his head and grinned. "A date. That's right, Sora has a date. Nyah!" He stuck out his tongue as he untied his apron and slipped it off.

Her eyes widened, but more out of awe than surprise. "NO WAY!!"

"SHHH, keep it down!" he whispered, though his grin didn't fade. He spun into the back room, peeking his head around the edge of the doorframe to watch Riku discreetly. The other man was sitting relaxed in his booth, drumming his hand on the table as he stared out the window. He looked almost nervous.

Larxene laughed, watching him watching Riku, shaking her head. "Oh, man, Sora... You're not shitting me, are you? Wow..."

A faint red painted Sora's cheeks as he continued to stare at the silver-haired angel. "Nope... OH, and here comes Leon!! Eeee!! Shift is oooover!!" he sang as he danced back out to the front, brimming with excitement. "Leeeeon!!"

The tall brunette froze in the doorway as Sora hurried up to him, throwing his arms around him. Leon stiffened, but didn't pull away.

"Thank you thank you thank yoooouuu!"

Leon relaxed a fraction. "Sora, let go."

"Okay!"

And he did.

Sora beamed, tugging Leon to the back, away from Riku's curious stare. He picked up his coat and pulled out the two gifts his mom had given him to hand out, and he gave the small one to Leon.

"From my family," he explained quickly, tugging on his coat and planting his earmuffs on, talking louder as he did so. "I picked it out!!!"

"...a Tinkerbell keychain?"

"Yeah!! So whenever you have a happy thought, you have pixie dust nearby!!"

"........Thanks."

"You're welcome!!"

Sora bounced back to the front of the café, Leon trailing behind him, Riku getting to his feet when he saw that Sora was ready to go.

"Riiiiku, Merry early Christmas!" he said, moving behind the taller man. He unraveled the squishy gift his mom had given him to give to Riku, and before Riku could turn and see what it was, he swiped the large green scarf around his neck. "There, now you'll have a warm neck," he said, pulling Riku's silver hair out from under the squishy material. He moved back around the taller boy, reaching up with cold fingers to tuck the scarf in properly. "There. You look great!"

Slowly Riku reached up to touch the scarf, fingers pressing into the velvety material in an almost fond way. He glanced down at Sora, managing a quiet smile. "Thanks. It's really soft..."

Sora's smile brightened even more. He turned to Leon, who was pulling on his apron, and threw his arms around him again.

"Thanks for taking my shift!!"

"I don't see why I'm doing this for you..."

"Merry Christmas, Leon!!"

".....Merry Christmas."

Sora released him, breezing back to Riku, grabbing onto his arm. "See you later!! Bye, Larxene!!"

"See ya!" the woman called from behind the counter, a knowing smirk on her face.

Riku studied it with a suspicious look, but then Sora was pulling him out the door, the bell jingling happily as he pushed it open. He had just enough time to glance back again, spotting Leon with a tiny Tinkerbell keychain, and a small, warm smile on his lips.

Then they were out the door...

And on their date.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	3. Ch 3: Tick Tock

_**Author's Notes:**_

_Uzumaki-sama:_ Many things have happened, but here is the last part finally. We started Christmas early this year? Sorry for the delay, but I love how this fanfic turned out.

_Vash's Girl:_ I love you, Ki? Eheehee, well, I really like this last part! It's my favorite so far, and I'm proud of it! And… that's it. Hope everyone enjoys.

_**Disclaimer:**_

Nothing belongs to us except Izzy (VG's cat), Artemis and Rairune, Seiya and San, and the plot (or lack thereof). Sion is from _The Bouncer_.

* * *

_For Dark Ki—_

_Because it was about time and we love keeping our word!_

* * *

**_Chapter 3_** – Tick Tock

--

If there was one thing Riku couldn't help admiring about Sora, it was his enthusiasm about _everything_.

As they walked side by side down the snow-chilled streets, Sora did not miss a thing. He kept pausing to wave at people huddled in large overcoats, and somehow Riku knew that Sora wasn't doing it because he knew those people, but because he was trying to be friendly or thought the people needed some holiday cheer. Sometimes Riku tried to pretend he wasn't walking with the other man, but it seemed like whenever he tried that, Sora tugged him towards a random display window to look at pointless knick-knacks or whatever, which his own strange way of making sure Riku was always included and with him for everyone to see.

Everything Sora did, he did with a level of love and happiness for _life_ that astounded (and intimidated) Riku, who had no choice but to follow the crazy ride. He didn't even know where they were going or what this date was going to consist of. He was nervous. And when he was nervous, he got awkward, but this didn't seem to deter Sora at all, for he kept finding ways to loosen him up.

"Look, Riku!" Sora laughed, tugging Riku's trench coat sleeve and pointing across the street. His voice lowered conspiratorially. "Santa Claus is putting gas in his car! Heehee."

Riku gave a faint smile, glancing at the fake Santa at the convenience store.

"I wonder what he tells kids when they ask him why he's driving a car and not his sleigh around town?" Sora wondered as he led Riku around the corner. "I can just see Sion and Rikku now." He paused to snicker, and then his voice took on a high-pitched, childish tone as he dramatically waved his hands. "'Sowa, Sowa! Santa dwives a BMW!'"

Then he promptly broke into giggles and danced ahead, his long colorful scarf trailing behind him in the cold breeze as he twisted around and around, kicking up patches of snow along the edges of the sidewalk. Riku silently watched after him, studying the absolute ease of his movements and how simply happy he seemed. He made life look easy... and Riku admired that.

"Hey Riku!"

He blinked, realizing he had zoned out. He focused on Sora again, who had paused suddenly and turned to watch him. There was a manically happy grin on his face as he gestured to a patch of untouched snow next to them on the street corner.

"Look, it's perfect!"

After eyeing the ground in confusion, Riku shot him a look as if to ask, _Perfect for **what**?_

Sora gave a mischievous little giggle and then turned, falling backwards into the snow, arms and legs spread eagle. Riku felt his mouth drop open as he gaped at Sora, suddenly wary of people on the street staring at them.

"Sora, what are you _doing_!"

"Snow angels!" he called, his limbs already moving to make the pattern in the snow. "C'mon, it's fun!"

"People are watching!"

"So?" Sora laughed up at him. "You better get down here before I _pull_ you down."

No way!

Riku narrowed his eyes at the other man, trying to hold back an embarrassed hiss as he took a step forward, gesturing. "Get up! You're practically in the middle of the street!"

"No I'm not," he replied easily, blue eyes shining with mirth. "Loosen up! It feels nice."

"But..."

Riku hesitated, glancing at his surroundings. As it turned out, no one was really around or even watching them, and Riku had no reason to feel so awkward. Still, holiday cheer or not, Sora was acting like a child!

"I'm not going to get up until you make one too, Ri-kuuu!"

Riku turned his attention back to Sora, feeling some of his resolve melt away. "I could just leave you here," he pointed out, though there wasn't much bite in it.

Sora pouted up at him. "No you wouldn't. Stop being such a Scrooge!"

"You're going to catch a cold."

"Then you better hurry and do your snow angel, because if I _do_ catch a cold, my mom will make you be my slave until I'm all better!"

Now _that_ Riku believed. Giving Sora a mock glare, he sighed, giving in. He turned, took a deep breath, and flopped into the snow next to the other man. He heard Sora's snicker of amusement and ignored it, deciding not to give Sora the pleasure of winning. Riku made two quick swoops of his arms and legs, just enough to make his snow angel.

"There," he announced, and then turned to give Sora a pointed look.

He was surprised to find Sora's face only a few inches from his own, an impish grin pulling at his lips. Riku wondered about the look, thinking that surely Sora couldn't be planning something else—

But then a pile of snow landed on his head.

"Look, it matches your hair!" Sora laughed, getting to his feet before Riku could retaliate.

Oh, but Riku _did_. After spending a second digesting the fact Sora had just dumped snow on him, he leapt up and scrambled through their snow angels to tackle Sora back to the ground. Sora let out a peel of laughter, flailing and kicking up snow as Riku landed on top of him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he choked through his giggles.

Riku just gave a small smirk in return and dumped a few handfuls of snow on Sora's face, enjoying the way Sora's voice grew more high-pitched. When Sora started struggling, Riku grinned at the challenge and dug his fingers into Sora's large coat, aiming for his ribs to tickle.

With a loud cry of mercy, Sora madly squirmed, half laughing hysterically and crying, and half gasping for breath, his face flushed and his brown spikes dotted with white flakes of ice as he thrashed under Riku.

"Mercy! Mercymercymercy!"

Satisfied with Sora's surrender, Riku relented and got up, feeling completely victorious—

That is, until he felt a handful of snow slam into his head again.

He blinked down at Sora, who was looking suddenly triumphant.

"Tricked you."

But instead of exacting revenge this time, Riku just shook his hair free of ice, grinned at Sora's grin, and then laughed.

--

"Sora... are you sure this is safe...?" Riku asked hesitantly, wobbling out shakily onto the ice and looking at his brunette companion with wide, terrified green eyes.

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be! I wouldn't have taken you here if it wasn't!" Sora chirped, clasping his hands behind his back and doing a slow spin, sending ice flecks to coat the air. The wind was fierce against his cheeks, bringing a crisp red to them, and his lips were growing chapped from the continuous exposure to the cold air, but he didn't mind. This was the best date that he had ever been on!

He had decided that ice-skating would be the next thing to do in their unwritten agenda, and he had to admit that the idea was becoming rather amusing. In the skates that they had rented minutes before, Riku's regal air was lost to awkwardness and slight fear, his arms waving a little at his sides. The fact that they were on a pond located on the outskirts of town probably didn't help to console him—but there was a sign posted further down that indicated where the fragile ice was.

Deciding to take a little bit of pity on Riku—for now—Sora happily smiled to himself and started back towards his friend. Riku was so easy to read, it was simply amazing. The older man probably hadn't been on skates since he was a mere child.

"I'm really enjoying myself, you know," he said, digging his toe picks in and stopping in front of his date. His smile spread further, revealing pearly white teeth, and he reached out, grasping onto Riku's slender hands. "It's not so bad, is it?"

Riku hesitated, eyes flickering with something deep, before he bowed his head and wet his chapped lips. "...No. It's not."

"Heehee. I'm glad." Bowing his head a little, Sora let his grin fade away into another smile, this one faint. "Listen... After tonight... Will I ever... see you again?" Teeth catching his lower lip, he glanced up at his friend uncertainly.

"Sora..." Brows furrowing a little, Riku tried to calm the pounding of his heart down and focus on his "date" and not the slippery ice beneath him. "Well... I..."

"It's okay if you don't want to. But... I like being your friend, Riku." Sora's smile widened, just slightly. "It's really nice."

Something stirred in Riku's heart, something foreign. Something he wasn't prepared to feel quite yet. "..." He opened his mouth, closed it, and then finally settled on a small nod.

Beaming, Sora gave his hands a reassuring squeeze. "Are you ready to learn how to skate? We'll do it together this first time!"

"I... I don't know, Sora..." Riku said tentatively, wetting his lips again. "...I mean... Isn't this just a little dangerous...?" He hated how his voice went up an octave just then, but he couldn't help it, he was terrified of the ice not being able to hold their weight. What if it cracked and sent them plunging into the deadly water beneath?

"You always think so logically," Sora teased, making his expression into a mock stern one. "Why don't you ever lighten up a little? The sign over there says where it's dangerous to skate. Meaning, the ice we're on right here is totally safe!"

"Not 'totally,'" Riku mumbled nervously, eyeing the crystal-like ice below them. "Nothing is entirely safe..."

"You see, it's cynics like you that make this world miserable," the younger of the two sighed with a shake of his head. "Heehee." They were moving slowly along the ice, Sora's feet sliding backwards with a grace that Riku felt he would never be able to master.

"It's cynics like me that make this world livable," Riku countered, squeezing Sora's hands hard when his feet slipped and he stumbled forward. "Oh!"

Laughing, Sora clasped a companionable arm around his shoulders and helped him to his feet. He briefly caught the scent of some expensive cologne that caused his senses to tingle, his cheeks to flush. "Are you all right, Riku?"

"Fine," his date muttered. "Just... ah..."

"Scared?"

Riku shot him a dark look. "I'm not scared."

Sora cracked another grin at that, his laughter growing. "Riiight. Sure you aren't."

"I'm not," the older man huffed, but his fingers held a vice-like grip around Sora's upper arms. "I'm just... nervous."

"Heeheehee. Is that what they call it these days?"

"Sora, please, stop teasing me..." Riku's fingers tightened just slightly as he eyed the ice warily than before, pressing closer to the brunette. Now that Sora minded. No, in fact, he felt another bubble of happiness surge up in his heart, and he let it show in his bright eyes.

Riku happened to look up then, and what he saw there completely riveted him, leaving his throat dry, his heart to skip a desperate beat. His fingers loosened before tightening again, and he dropped his gaze, unable to hold such an intense stare. But even though he knew Sora's obvious liking for him, and that he should probably move away before he only encouraged it, he didn't.

Sora was warm, he reasoned. Sora was a... safe... presence.

And for the first time, Riku felt like he was at home.

--

Riku had never been on this side of their modest, old-fashioned town around this time of year. After all the excitement of falling repeatedly on the ice, Sora had announced another surprise for Riku. They were now in Roshfall Park where leisure sleigh rides were being given for reasonable prices during the holiday season.

Despite the intimate appearance of the sleigh rides already doing their rounds through the park, Riku didn't feel too intimidated by the prospect of being in such close contact with Sora anymore. A part of him still antsy about the other man's obvious affection for him, but at this point he knew he couldn't say no to anything Sora wanted.

The weather-worn driver didn't even bat an eye at Sora and Riku as they approached, Sora's fingers wrapped snugly around Riku's as he led him to the last vacant sleigh. It was huge, to say the least, and as Sora let go of him to speak to the driver, Riku studied the design. Painted a deep cranberry color to match its faded velvet upholstery, it looked antique and foreign, the ends of its wooden runners curving up into a small spiral. Riku ventured slightly forward, running his hand along the fine wood, noticing a few dents and scratches, and the worn look of the long cushions inside, but the quality was still admirable. It looked like it sat four people, but the driver would be taking the front seat alone, leaving the backseat for amorous couples.

A sharp gust of breath, distinctly equine, greeted Riku as he approached the large horse strapped to the sleigh. Round bells adorned its harness, and it gave a shake of its head, sending sharp jingles in the air as it turned its face to regard Riku. He reached a hand out, tentatively touching the horse's side, feeling the powerful muscles shift under his glove. The horse gave a quiet, friendly nicker, slowly blinking at the human nearing its front. It pushed its nose forward, and Riku ran his hand along the white diamond snout, noticing the flick of its ear and swish of its long, bisque-colored tail.

Riku hadn't been expecting his first encounter with a horse to be quite like this, but he liked it, finding the large beast beautiful with its soft roan color and fuzzy white hooves.

"'e's a shire," a gruff voice suddenly said, breaking Riku out of his intent study.

"Oh?" he replied politely, and then stumbled forward a little as Sora renewed the grip on his arm and tugged him around to the plush cushioned seats. "Sora..." he hissed chidingly, casting him an irate look.

"Mou, what?" Sora pouted. "His name's Bernard." His lips stretched into that familiar grin, and he tugged Riku into the seat beside him, although it took a bit of effort since his friend wasn't all that willing yet. "Bernard, this is Riku."

"'Ello, Riku," Bernard nodded, his voice layered with a thick accent that Riku couldn't quite place. "As the lad said, I'm Bernard." His old blue eyes crinkled as he looked them over. "Are we ready, then?"

Beaming excitedly, a ball of everlasting energy, Sora nodded his head up and down. "Yup! Heehee."

A few minutes later and their sleigh was moving along the snow, the shire horse's jingle bells filling the air and casting a calming warmth over Riku's heart. His companion was looking everywhere, fingers still wrapped snugly about his upper arm, and as his eyes took in the brightly colored Christmas lights, he inched a bit closer. Riku wondered if he should feel uncomfortable, but he surprisingly didn't.

Their eyes met for a second, Sora's a shining blue, Riku's a tranquil green, before the latter slid his gaze away, eyeing the flakes of snow that were beginning to drift down.

"Hey, it's snowing again," Sora giggled, reaching up to draw his fingers through the air. Riku watched with growing interest as the other man tilted his head back, catching a delicate flake on his tongue.

Faintly smiling, Riku relaxed into the cushion, breathing in the distinct wet musk of the horse, the sweet pine in the park, and the subtle lingering scent of baked sweets on Sora's coat each time he pressed a little closer. The large shire was following the curve of the large park path, the sleigh gliding through the snow with relative grace, and Riku found himself enjoying the peaceful ride, not minding the way Sora kept nestling close at his side.

Flecks of white gathered in Sora's hair, some of the melted drops glittering against the Christmas lights, giving Sora an almost celestial halo. Riku studied him for a long moment, noting how Sora kept glancing at him like he was trying to keep in his wide grin but failing. It was cute, admittedly. Really cute.

"I like this," Sora murmured, fearlessly resting his head against Riku's shoulder, his arms curling around Riku's imprisoned one and clutching it close as if he were afraid Riku would bolt. After a moment of silence, he lifted his eyes, staring expectantly up at Riku through his bangs.

Letting the warmth of Sora's body calm him, Riku took in the quiet atmosphere of the park, listening to the crunch of hooves and the slide of wooden runners in the snow, admiring the soft whinnies from the shire and the tinny jingles from its harness bells. The drifting snow and twinkling lights of the city around them were beautiful, as was the snow-covered park, picturesque and... romantic.

Riku decided he liked it too.

Meeting Sora's gaze, he reached a hand up, gently mussing the ice-dotted brown hair and making Sora whine a little. Ducking his head and burrowing it into Riku's neck, Sora drew in a long breath, catching another hint of Riku's cologne. It was faint but rich, quietly alluring yet refined, just like Riku, and Sora found himself snuggling a bit closer to smell more of it.

His taller companion hesitated again, his green gaze flicking down to look at now tousled brown spikes. Sora's breath was warm against his neck, causing him to shiver a little, and he bit his lip and looked out and to the snow-covered trees framing the streets. A lump settled in his throat, hard and unyielding, and he wondered why. Was it because Sora's body was so warm, slender and molding easily to his side? He didn't know. But he still didn't pull away.

He wondered why he was letting his... friend... touch him like this. Why he was allowing him to be so close. Normally, he avoided such things, even talking to people, and yet Sora had somehow wormed into his life the day before and had completely rearranged it in a matter of hours. The thought of going back to his house now struck a chord of loneliness in his heart, and he let out a soft puff of breath, shaking his head a little. This was ridiculous, this was...

"You're thinking too hard again," came the brunette's soft whisper, causing Riku to frown slightly and glance back down at him. Blue eyes met his own, and Sora's fingers drifted up, curling into his coat at his shoulder. "What's going on in that mind of yours?" A smile traced his lips, sleepy almost, and definitely content.

He wondered indeed what he had been thinking about, and furrowed his brows, glancing out at the twinkling lights. His throat constricted, and he swallowed against the lump there. "...I was thinking that... you're different, Sora..." he murmured carefully.

"Different?" Sora hummed, resting his head against Riku's neck again. Riku found that he didn't mind it all that much this time. "...I'm not different. I'm just... me."

"Why did you want to help me?" Riku whispered. And then, even more softly, "Everyone always leaves me in some form or another..."

He wasn't expecting Sora to give a quiet giggle at his serious statement. "Well, you know where I work and where I live and even where I go every other night to hang out with little kids," he said, his voice a little muffled by Riku's coat. "If you want to find me, it won't be hard. I won't leave you as long as you're still interested in my help."

So it is just to help me...? Riku silently wondered. Somehow he had a feeling that Sora wasn't as personal with his other charitable outings, though. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on his part. Wait—wishful thinking? What for?

Sora was staring up at him again, looking slightly amused. Riku met his eyes again, not stopping Sora when he reached up to press a finger to his furrowed brow. "You're doing it again," he teased.

Glancing away, Riku sighed, watching his breath disappear into the quickening snowfall. Sora's soft, damp hair brushed against his jaw as the man nuzzled into his neck again, cheek resting against his new scarf. Everything about Sora seemed to be warm and comforting, soft and... right. Like something velveteen.

"Brrr...! It's getting cold."

Sora's body gave a subtle shudder.

Riku paused, wetting his dry lips, and then, hesitantly, curled his arm around Sora's shoulders and pulled him even closer against his side. The brunette seemed surprised, at the very least, but he quickly adjusted, slipping his arms around his date's waist and humming softly in his throat. He murmured something that sounded like Riku's name, but the elder of the two wasn't quite sure. And what was this feeling twisting through his heart? Anxiety? Nervousness? ...Happiness? And it was all rolled into one.

"What if... I don't want you to help me," he said, arm tightening around his companion's shoulders.

"Riku?" Sora looked up again, his brows furrowing hard as a frown creased his lips.

"What if..." Riku's lips twitched, curling a little, and it hurt. He wondered when he was going to get used to the sensation. "...What if I... want your friendship?"

He watched as the worry left that peculiar shade of blue, a bright ray of hope replacing it with a lightening hue.

Sora snuggled close against Riku again, his fingers clenching into the older man's coat. He didn't say anything.

But then, he really didn't need to.

--

"Here it is!" Sora chirped, spreading his arms out to either side of him and giving a slow spin. "The clock tower. Pretty cool, huh?"

Riku nodded his head, venturing carefully out to where Sora was, not wanting his feet to find a patch of ice. Despite his usual grace, he always managed to slip on one whenever he went out. But... his friend seemed to be all right, teeth flashing in that all too familiar grin as he whirled and dashed over to an icy railing.

"C'mon, Riku!" the brunette called cheerfully. "You gotta see the town from up here! We're really high up!"

Trying to quell a wave of nausea twisting through his stomach at the thought, he made his way over to his friend, his hands gripping along the railing and feeling the ice begin to melt through his mittens. He didn't remove them, however, his eyes gazing out at the velvet snow blanketing the quiet, slumbering city. He smiled faintly to himself—it wasn't so bad now—and bowed his head.

Beside him, Sora took a deep, wintry breath, and slowly exhaled. A long stream of puffy whiteness trailed into the air, vanishing moments later. "I used to come here all the time... when I was still a kid."

"What stopped you?" Riku murmured, suddenly content to just watch the way Sora's lashes fluttered, slowly drooping closed as a lazy smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. The flakes of snow that had landed on his warm skin were already melting away, leaving his cheeks glistening in the beams of moonlight pouring into the shaft of a window.

The younger man shrugged, lifting his face so that Riku could get the full effect of his smile. "...I just got busy, I guess. Mom and Dad had Rikku and Sion, and I was either always babysitting, working at a job, or doing schoolwork. I didn't have time for much else." His gaze returned to the glittering snow spreading out before them. "...I really missed it up here, though... I'm glad that you agreed to come up here with me tonight." Against your better judgment went unsaid.

But Sora leaned his elbows against the railing and rested his chin in his hands. Below, the cogs turned restlessly, grinding against one another as they fought to proclaim the time to their small town. It was peaceful in its own way, and it was something that Sora had relished in growing up in a house that was _never _tranquil enough for his tastes.

Of course, it was now, but back then, when he had been only a boy...

"Isn't it pretty, Riku?" he murmured, shifting his eyes to the starry sky above them. The snow had paused again, leaving everything washed in moonlight, a serene, calm air that one didn't get to experience often in the breezes that pushed against their wind-chapped cheeks.

Riku nodded, growing quiet as his brows furrowed in contemplation. Sora eyed him with a stern expression, wanting to smooth his brows back out, but decided to leave his friend alone. Giving a soft smile instead, he watched as a few stray gray clouds drifted over the pale moon. Judging by the others gathering against the distant horizon, it would be snowing again before daybreak.

They stood in companionable silence, comfortable with the atmosphere, and Sora shivered, pulling his coat more tightly around himself as Riku gazed at the lights warming the windows in the houses far below.

Images began to flit across Riku's mind. Images of laughter, of his father playing the piano as his mother opened her mouth and let the sound of absolutely _beautiful _Christmas carols ring out. The images rolled together in his thoughts, becoming mere broken pieces of memories. He could remember sitting in front of a huge Christmas tree, ripping open the paper of his presents so that his tiny hands could grasp at the toys beneath. And his parents... oh, his parents had looked at him with such love and adoration in their compassionate eyes...

He wondered why everything good in life had to change. He wondered if he would ever receive an answer to this question that he thought of most.

"I..." He swallowed as his whisper echoed in the silence between Sora and himself. The smaller of the two looked up, his blue eyes curious. It took a moment for Riku to continue, as he knew that his friend was watching him expectantly, but he finally managed to murmur, "I don't like Christmas because... I..." Something was burning at the back of his eyes, and he blinked against it furiously, not wanting Sora to see the tears glimmering there.

He bowed his head, bangs sliding forward over his eyes to hide them from view. He swallowed hard, his throat working, and his fingers clenched tighter about the railing. "Somewhere along the line it all... went so wrong, Sora..." he breathed. "We... We used to be so happy..." His lips curved into a smile that died seconds after it was born. "...Can you believe that, Sora? Me? _Happy_? With _loving _parents?"

Sora opened his mouth, but he found that no words would come out. He stared at his friend for a long moment, swallowing, and then shook his head and lowered his gaze.

"Father... He... He got trapped in all of his work... He didn't come home as much anymore... And Mother..." He gave a bitter laugh that sounded harsh in his throat and echoed off the secluded room's walls. "Oh, Mother... She grew so cold because of it... I guess it's because she missed him so much." He pulled his hands away from the railing, taking a step back as he stared down at them. He could feel his bottom lip trembling. "And somewhere during all of this I became a burden," he whispered weakly.

"Riku—"

"They stopped caring about me..." He lowered his hands, clenching them into hard fists at his sides, his teeth gritting as he tried to fight back the tears threatening to overwhelm him. But they slipped down his cool cheeks, trailing along his nose and dripping off his chin as it quivered.

"That's not true!" Sora whispered fiercely, eyes burning brightly as he placed a reassuring hand on Riku's shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

The elder of the two glanced up, giving Sora a long look despite the tears staining his face. "Yes, it is, Sora. If they cared about me—like they used to—I wouldn't hate Christmas so much." His voice softened. "Things would be different now, and..." His gaze shifted back to the snow-covered town. "...Before I knew it, they weren't even home for Christmas anymore. Just my nana was, and we had never been close. I would..."

He trailed off as images danced before his mind's eye again. He was playing in the snow by himself, giggling, throwing the white flakes up into the air and trying to catch them on his tongue as they fell back towards the cold earth. He was spinning, arms spread out to either side of him, a wide grin on his lips.

He was bowing his head... arms lowering back to his sides... staring down at the snow beneath his feet sadly...

"I was always lonely..." Riku blinked slowly, and a last, lone tear trickled down his cheek. "I had no friends. My parents forgot about me. I was just their—their _burden_," he said with heavy finality, hearing it echo in his heart this time. He was painfully aware of Sora staring at him intently, and so he lifted his head and wiped at his face, sniffling and flashing a small grin at Sora that felt as unfamiliar as his earlier smiles on his lips. "Let's go back to my house."

Sora hesitated, and then he smiled, slowly, but surely. "Do you have hot cocoa?" he asked, reaching out to curl his fingers along Riku's forearm.

Riku nodded. "Yes."

"Yay, all right! To your house!" Sora pumping a fist into the air and dragged him off to the hidden staircase that would take them back outside.

--

From the moment Sora had set eyes on Riku, he had set him as the rich type, yes, but nothing could have prepared him for the beauty of Riku's large home when they finally got there. At first Sora hadn't believed it when the taxi stopped in front of the large gates. He had been thinking maybe the driver had gotten the directions wrong, but when Riku opened the door and stepped into the icy street, he realized that this was indeed where Riku lived.

The cold breeze stung his cheeks as he climbed out of the cab after Riku, never moving his eyes away from the elegant, vine-covered gates standing in front of them. He felt his eyes widen as Riku easily pushed open the steel structure and glanced back at him expectantly.

"Come on, it's getting late," Riku said quietly, fiddling with something in his coat pocket. Probably that gold watch again.

It _was_ getting late. After all they had done together that day, Christmas Eve was finally nearing an end, and Sora was sad that such a great date was going to come to a close soon. But... Sora smiled to himself, thinking that, well, at least he still had some more time with Riku.

Tucking his hands into his coat, Sora gave the older man a pleased grin and brushed past him, passing through the gates into the front garden, which had a blanket of snow draped over it. Untouched snow, so unlike Sora's own yard and everyone else's. Here, it looked almost like white velvet, spread over everything, soft and delicate and pure. It was beautiful, but...

Lonely, somehow. It felt like a cemetery more than a home.

No wonder Riku always seemed so sad.

Sora glanced ahead, watching Riku's back as he climbed the steps to his home and paused on the porch to dig out his keys.

"Who's home?" Sora asked as he moved to stand beside the other man. He wasn't sure what to expect, really, because Riku hadn't mentioned any other family besides his parents, who weren't likely to be there.

"No one," was Riku's simple response as he slid his key into the lock. "That car is mine."

Sora blinked, turning to look at the driveway. Just one car sat there, already covered in a fine layer of snow. So Riku had walked everywhere yesterday and today, even though he had a car? Frowning, Sora glanced at Riku in confusion, wondering why he had done something like that.

Riku pushed open the door, a gust of warm air rushing out to greet them, making Sora shiver, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end.

"D-Dark," Sora commented as he stared into the black hallway beyond the door. He rubbed his arms, looking at Riku expectantly. "But warm."

Riku glanced back at him, giving a small, warm smile, and then stepped into his house. "I'll get the lights..."

Something soft settled around Sora's heart, and it gave a happy flutter. He curled his fingers into his coat, smiling back even though Riku couldn't see his face now. Feeling slightly floaty, Sora trailed after him into the dark home, closing the door behind him. The lights came on to Sora's left, illuminating a portion of the large entryway, and he took a moment to admire the rich interior of Riku's home.

"So big," Sora breathed, awed. "And clean!"

And quiet. _Really_ quiet.

"Yeah..." Riku agreed as he came back to the door where Sora was still standing. It was mostly dark here still, and Sora only saw his silhouette and some of his features. His green eyes glimmered in the dim light as he turned his gaze to Sora's. "You can leave your coat and stuff here."

Sora gave a small start when he felt Riku's hand on his arm. "Oh—yeah—" he managed to get out, his heart suddenly racing. He felt his cheeks warm and was thankful Riku couldn't see it. "Okay, thanks..."

Riku's hand slipped away, and, through the soft lighting, Sora could see him removing his scarf and coat, so Sora did his own, unable to stop the happy smile that found its way onto his face and stayed. Just being here like this with Riku, in his home, all alone... this late at night. It almost felt forbidden.

Letting that thought fill him with a little thrill, he set his stuff down and hurried along behind Riku.

"Is it okay if I explore the kitchen?" he asked. "So I can find the chocolate?"

Riku blinked over his shoulder, and then managed a faintly amused look and nodded. "Go right ahead," he replied, watching as Sora's eyes lit up. The younger man began to brush past him, cheeks still flushed from the cold.

"I'll just make myself at home, then!" he called, starting to leave the room.

"That hallway leads to the atrium," Riku calmly said. "The kitchen is to the right."

Sora froze. Turned around. Without even a shred of embarrassment, he flashed Riku a grin and headed down the right corridor, leaving Riku in the foyer alone.

Once he was gone, the silence was a little unsettling to Riku. Drawing his arms around himself, he slowly moved toward the dining room, letting the events from his day run through his mind, realizing that this empty house felt so different now that he knew what a real home looked like. Felt like. He'd had a touch of real Christmas, of real family... of comfort. This place felt like a tomb compared to that warmth.

It hadn't always been that way, but... before Sora, Riku couldn't remember the last time he had felt so welcome.

He slowly came to a stop in the dark dining room, standing before the tall window that looked out into the vast snow covered gardens. It was a like a sea of white, a stretch of soft, pale blanket over everything. A gentle snow drifted from the dark sky like tiny feathers.

Once upon a time, when he'd had no care in the world other than to love and be loved, Riku had spent hours as a child just having fun in the snow, playing alone and creating wacky stories to entertain himself. Back then, he had had no concept of time passing, other than the rise and fall of the sun and the different meals prepared for him.

Just like back then, today Riku hadn't even thought about the time. He couldn't remember glancing even once at his pocket watch when he had been with Sora. When he had been having fun with Sora.

Like warm fingers slipping over his heart, Riku felt it being seized and held by some foreign emotion—something that wasn't quite new, just buried, and it made him as comfortable as it did nervous.

What was it...?

"Ri-ku!" Sora exclaimed cheerfully as he rushed into the room, albeit carefully, trying not to trip over his own two feet as he held up steaming mugs of cocoa. It hadn't taken long to produce them—after rummaging around the pantry, he had found an unopened box hidden away behind some cans of food. And although Riku's cabinets had been full of beautiful kitchenware, it hadn't impressed him much. His mom's arsenal of kitchen utilities was far greater.

He blinked as he saw familiar flakes of white drifting down from the sky, and he giddily hurried over to the window, trying not to spill the scalding treat all over his hands. "It's snowing again! Wai!"

All that snow before him. It was glistening in the soft surreal moonlight peering through the clouds slowly drifting across it and begging to be ruined the next day. Except...

Sora's lips tugged into a little frown as realization wrenched softly at his heart. The realization that Riku probably wouldn't be playing in it. Or anyone else, for that matter.

The silver head slowly turned from the window, a faint smile gracing Riku's lips as he regarded the other man and the two blue mugs in his hands. With a slight flutter in his gut, Sora paused, his step faltering just a little as he watched Riku's eyes lock onto his.

It was just one of those moments that catches the heart—

And even though Sora had a lot to be thankful for in his life, and more fond memories than he could handle, _this_ look, the look Riku was giving him...

It was really special.

It also made him out to be a fool. He felt like such a love-struck girl.

"Sora?"

Snapping out of his dazed stare, Sora beamed, pushing Riku's mug out. "Here! Careful, it's probably really hot."

The silver-haired man gratefully took the mug and allowed his smile to widen a little as he gazed at Sora. He looked away a second later, however, taking a careful sip of his cocoa, and the brunette couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

But what was he to be disappointed about? It was expected... right?

"Let's go into the living room where it's warm," Sora said softly, gazing down into the depths of the brown liquid swishing gently in his mug, and... a twinge of depression tugged at his heart.

Damn. Damn, damn, damn. He needed to be _happy_, not...

"It's a bit drafty in here," Sora continued, already turning away as he headed into the depths of the house. "And—we can light a fire or something." He beamed a bright smile over his shoulder, only to see his newfound friend gazing out the window again, holding his mug contemplatively, one hand pressed against the no-doubt cold glass.

"...Ri-ku?"

"Mmm..." Riku murmured, nodding, and dragged his gaze away from the glistening snow, haunting memories of throwing the fluff into the air fading out of his mind with a last string of giggles.

Their eyes met again, but this time Sora was the one to look away, a soft blush painting his cheeks as he moved to the living room nearby, hearing Riku's socked feet creak the wooden floor behind him as he followed.

Sora couldn't remember the last time he'd been in such a strange feeling atmosphere. He was used to family gatherings and time alone with his crazy friends, and he'd been through a few awkward dates, but this was so _different_.

Riku was so different.

...when Sora had first seen Riku at the café, he'd never imagined their relationship would go far beyond employee and patron, let alone _this_...

It still felt very unreal even now as he sat on the long, squishy couch, cradling his warm mug of hot chocolate. He watched Riku sit beside him, blue eyes bright with uncertainty, an interesting shade of red painting his cheeks when Riku lifted those dreamy green eyes and caught him staring.

"What is it?" his companion asked, reveling in the quiet that had settled once more over the house. For once, it seemed soothing, and he gazed down into his frothy treat, watching flecks of powdered chocolate swirl around the surface.

"O-Oh... nothing!" Beaming, although it felt a bit too forced on his lips, Sora, too, gazed down at his cocoa. His mind kept flitting back to the snow angels that they had made, and then the miniature snowball fight that had proceeded afterwards. And what could compare to the very real tremor of fear that flashed through Riku's eyes as he had carefully stepped out onto the ice, legs giving a dangerous wobble.

But most of all, he had liked the snuggling on the sleigh and the way that conversation had gone up in the clock tower. For one, Riku had let Sora be so close to him. He had even said that he wanted to be Sora's friend. And then, overlooking their quiet town, had come that quiet confession from his past. Riku had cried, too! _Cried_.

Sora felt so unbelievably happy that it was hard to suppress these feelings, but the anxiety storming around in his heart quickly chased it away. Just because Riku had opened up to him so much didn't mean anything. Granted, Riku had been a real scrooge when he had met him, and now he was open, so—well—more _lively_—and it hadn't even been a complete forty-eight hours yet.

_I really like him... I really do hope that he meant what he said about us being friends..._ But as he thought of those tears glistening in the gentle moonlight, Riku's green eyes lost and so sad, he couldn't believe that they'd never see one another again once this night was over.

"Um..."

He blinked a few times, realizing he wanted to express his thoughts but wasn't sure how exactly to do so. Almost like... he was scared that Riku wouldn't feel the same way.

At his sound of hesitation, Riku did glance up, carefully lowering his mug. Sora tentatively lifted his gaze to meet Riku's, still searching for the right words to say.

But Sora's worry melted away when he noticed the soft line of foam on Riku's upper lip. Unable to hide the grin that pulled at his lips, Sora leaned in and started to reach out, whispering in a teasing tone, "Ri-ku has a moo-stash."

Riku's pale lashes fluttered against his cheeks as Sora's thumb brushed softly over his lip, wiping the foam away. The simple, innocent touch did wonders, curling warmth inside of Riku, comforting him and making him act without really thinking. His hand lifted, fingers circling Sora's wrist to keep him from pulling away.

The sudden gesture made both of them hesitate.

When Sora met his gaze again, Riku's green eyes had sharpened.

"There..." Sora breathed, a smile on his lips, but it trembled a little with his heart. In the two short days that he had known Riku, he had never seen those eyes so intense before. It was a bit mind-numbing, sending a low thrill shooting through him. "It's gone now... the... moo-stash..."

_He's not releasing me,_ Sora realized as his heartbeat sped up, pounding hard against his ribcage. Was it just him, or had the gap between them suddenly begun to thin out? Yes, now it seemed that Riku's lips were hovering right above his own, the older man's thumb slipping a little on his wrist to rub against the soft skin there.

"Riku..." Sora whispered just before velveteen lips pressed against his own.

There was a long moment of silence, filled only by their uneven breathing, before Sora's eyes slipped closed and he tilted his head slightly, blindly setting his mug off to the side. He hesitantly reached out, fingers clasping onto Riku's forearm as their lips separated, eyes fluttering open at the same time. They gazed at one another for a heartbeat, pulses racing, unsure of what was happening but rather liking it, anyway, before their lips met again, this time with a soft wet noise.

_He tastes like chocolate... _

It was the last thing Sora thought before his emotions tumbled over him in a wave, and he drew closer to his friend, fingers tightening in their grip.

Riku's lips were so warm, so soft. They were also a bit chapped from the wind and the cold, but then, so were Sora's, and he didn't really mind it. It was an imperfection, and he took pride in the fact that he had been a cause of it.

He could hear his blood roaring in his ears, but after a few moments, even that was drowned out by the subtle shifting of Riku's fingers slipping into his hair, cupping the back of his neck and tilting it further backwards. Sora swallowed hard, his hand moving to Riku's chest, clenching his fingers in that rich fabric. The couch sunk beneath them as they moved, knees bumping together before settling comfortably, their clothes a whisper against the cushions.

Lips brushed again, timid and testing, Sora releasing a quiet sigh as his heart gave a pleasant flutter, liking the way his skin was tingling from just that subtle touch. Riku's fingers moved in his hair, curling in slightly in response to Sora's small, cute sound, and he moved in to complete the kiss again.

It was slow, shy but sweet, and exquisite. Dizzying.

Sora felt his mind spin as he parted his lips, feeling Riku's move against his like wet silk, eliciting definite little thrills inside of him. A tremor ran down his spine, his fist tightening in Riku's shirt, and a flash of excitement spiraled through him at the gentle touch of a warm tongue against his.

Real. This was real. It was—

_Dong..._

—midnight?

_Dong... Dong..._

The cogs of the grandfather clock whirred with their antiquated song, and just the sound of them seemed to startle Riku. He pulled out of the intimate exchange, eyes soft and unfocused, his lips glistening from the kiss.

_Dong... Dong..._

Sora drew in a long breath, trying to calm his happy heart. He knew he was blushing, but then... so was Riku.

_Dong... Dong... Dong..._

An awkward silence stretched between them, and Sora resisted the urge to lick his lips, wanting to taste more.

_Dong... Dong..._

Slowly, Riku lifted his gaze to meet Sora's...

_Dong..._

...and gave a faint, but genuine smile.

_Dong._

"I guess... it's Christmas now," he said in a very quiet voice.

Sora found himself nodding in agreement, excitement filtering through him. "Happy Christmas," he managed to whisper without letting his racing heart make him stutter. Riku's reply was just as hushed, almost as if they were both afraid to break the tension.

"Merry Christmas, Sora."

The happy look that filled Sora's face at those words honestly struck Riku as gorgeous. He looked away, feeling himself smile again. He wasn't used to this, but... he liked it. It was also that part that terrified him.

The silence that spread between them then was awkward, and Sora shifted on the couch, this time giving into the urge to wet his lips. Riku's eyes happened to flit up then, catching the gesture, and Sora flushed and tore his gaze away. He wanted to kiss his friend again, but he wasn't sure how to go about it, or even if he should. It was already so late! He needed to get home before his mom called, be there for the morning when they wanted to open up presents—Rikku and Sion got up at the break of dawn, and Sora needed at _least_ a few hours of sleep for that mayhem.

"Riku..." he whispered at the same time the other man murmured, "Sora..."

They looked at each other, and Sora giggled, tilting his head. A suspicious line of pink spread over the other's cheeks, and but then there was that soft smile, curling along his lips. It was so cute.

Riku leaned in again, touching his lips to Sora's briefly, and the brunette's lashes lowered. He didn't mind the fingers ghosting against his cheek, into his hair to stroke gently, or the warm gust of breath against his mouth.

"I got you a present," the silver-haired man whispered. "Do you want to open it now?"

Sora nodded, warmth curling in his stomach again, and brushed his lips in return against his friend's before turning and reaching for his hot cocoa. His fingers curled around the warm mug as Riku got to his feet, footsteps padding against the floor as he left the living room. His heart was still racing, he realized, and as he raised his cup to his lips, he noticed that his hands were trembling a little. Carefully taking a sip of his chocolate, he hoped he didn't look too eager about all of this. He didn't want to scare Riku away, knowing very well by now how introverted the man was...

Still... Sora was unable to hide the delighted smile that kept persisting. He grinned into the mug, glancing over the rim of the porcelain as Riku returned to the room, carrying a wrapped box. It was flat, square and thin, and looked like it could hold a small article of clothing. Inside, Sora was dancing with glee, hardly able to believe that _Riku_ had actually gotten him something. And he must have gotten it earlier, before the date...

Their eyes met as Riku approached the sofa, looking slightly awkward as he sat back down, holding the package out. "I saw it and... it reminded me of you," Riku murmured, lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck.

Excitement fluttering in his gut, Sora lowered his cocoa to the table and took the present, feeling like a ten-year-old as he happily slipped his fingers into the fold of the wrapping paper and began tearing.

"It's... nothing special," Riku continued. "I mean... I don't know you very well... things like—"

"My favorite food is pizza, with anchovies and olives, and my favorite color is blue, and my favorite thing to do in my spare time is jazz out to music," Sora rambled, fingers fiddling with tape. He stared at it for a moment as it clung to his finger, and he scowled, waving it around vigorously before Riku calmly extracted it for him. Sora grinned sheepishly. "Thanks..."

"You're welcome," Riku said softly.

Finally, with wrapping paper littered everywhere, Sora took the top of his box off and glanced down at the contents within. Beneath a few layers of white tissue paper with delicate silver snowflakes etched into them was a fluffy snow cap. With a pompom. The cap itself was a dark blue with white streaked through it in intricate designs, and the pompom was made of the same colors, goofy and cute.

A delighted grin spreading across his lips, Sora took the cap and placed it atop his head, turning to face his friend again. "How do I look?"

Riku lifted an eyebrow, studying the way Sora's messy hair stuck out from under the soft material, and the way the pompom lolled to the side as Sora moved his head, and he gave a small, amused smirk, reaching out to squish the pompom between two fingers.

"Very cute."

A soft giggle escaped Sora, who hoped he didn't seem too much like an idiot, knowing how dorky he must have looked. But Riku had called him cute, and that was well worth the embarrassment. Feeling his cheeks warm again, Sora lowered his face, still grinning. "I love it," he said, pressing a hand on top of it, feeling it flatten even more over his hair. He lifted his eyes after a moment, catching Riku's intent gaze. "Thanks, Riku. You didn't have to."

"I wanted to," Riku replied quietly. Glancing away, he seemed a little self-conscious, but he still managed a faint smile. "I'm glad you like it. I wasn't sure."

Something about his tone bothered Sora, but he wasn't sure what it was. It felt almost... final?

"Um..." Sora hesitated, looking at his half full cup of cocoa, his happiness beginning to fade at the prospect of this perfect night ending. "I really had a lot of fun today. I mean... _a lot_... It was great."

"Me, too." Riku's voice was soft, distracted, and Sora followed his gaze to the grandfather clock. Its ticking settled in the air between them, only interrupted by the hoot of an owl outside.

"Listen..." And Sora set his mug down again, staring at his hands. His drew his fingers inwards towards his palm, examining them closely. "...I... Will we... see each other again?"

"Well, we live in the same town, don't we?"

"Yeah, but there's tons of people I only see once and never again." Sora swallowed, hard. "Riku, I... I don't like the thought of... never seeing you again..." An icy tendril raked through his heart at the very prospect, and he turned in his seat, the hat slipping off his spikes a little to settle against the side of his face. Green eyes shifted, met his own. "...I know that I hardly know you, but... I've had so much fun! You already mean so much to me. And... and my family, too! So please... I..." He trailed off, not knowing what to say. Please what? What could he possibly say or do to make... make Riku stay?

"I'm glad that you had fun, Sora," the older man whispered. "I... I'm just..." He sighed. "I'm not used to... being... cared about this way. I've always been abandoned."

"I won't abandon you," Sora said hurriedly, grasping onto Riku's hand, clasping it between his own. When the other man gave him a somewhat sad smile, he realized how hurried and eager he sounded, and he flushed faintly in the dark. "I... I like you... Riku..." he stammered. "I... I mean... I just don't want you to go," he finished lamely.

Riku stared at him for a long moment, as if taking this into consideration, and then finally shook his head. He sighed again, but this time it was soft, barely audible. "Sora... I... You really shouldn't... like me, I mean... I'm going to be gone for a while, and I really don't know when I'm going to see you again."

Eyes widening slightly, Sora whispered, "What?"

"I... My school. I'm transferring schools." Riku's fingers slowly withdrew from the smaller man's. "...I'm going to England for a year."

"O-Oh..." Feeling numb inside, and just a little stupid for confessing his feelings so easily like that, Sora stared at the grandfather clock. He watched the minute hand slowly click into place, let his eyes follow the golden pendulum in its glass case.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock... _

Time was ticking away, it seemed.

And so was his time with Riku.

The silence that stretched between them was thick with disappointment and regret, and when Riku broke it with his quiet voice, Sora's heart sank.

"I'm sorry."

It was honest. Sora could tell. Fighting back the sadness rising inside of him, he forced on a smile. It hurt. "It's okay," he managed to reply. "I had fun..." He paused, swallowing, still tasting chocolate and Riku, and he realized how silly he had been for being so hopeful. The feelings had seemed real enough, but... now he knew.

"So did I," Riku admitted.

When Sora heard how remorseful he sounded, he glanced at him. He was surprised to find what he did there on Riku's face. Raw emotion. Masks lowered again, even for just this one moment...

As simple as it was, it was enough for Sora.

He reached out, grasping Riku's hand in his own, and looked up at him, eyes bright. Determined. "When you get back, let's do this again. There's still so much I want to show you. So... after this England thing, come back and find me, okay?"

The older man hesitated, wetting his lips, and something flickered in his eyes, something unreadable. But then he let a faint, bemused smile cross his lips, so different from his earlier ones, and he gave a single nod. "Okay."

--

The town was silent as they rushed past in Riku's car, Christmas lights glimmering in a blur. Sora bit at his bottom lip, chewing worriedly, his fingers drumming a random tune against his armrest. There was the low hum of the BMW, filling the still air, warning any passing pedestrians to move out of the way, and fast. Sora couldn't help but suppress a smile at the thought and tilted his head back against the headrest.

He had meant what he had said. He would wait for Riku, it was just... he was sad. These past two days had been so wonderful! And now Riku was leaving? When, and how soon? All these questions and more rolled through his mind, but he couldn't come up with any answers. He supposed he could just ask his newly acquainted friend, but the thought made his stomach squeeze in discomfort. He was too afraid to broach the subject again—afraid of what Riku might tell him. What if he was leaving in a week, or worse, tomorrow?

But no, the new college semesters didn't start until January. But then... things were run differently in England, so who knew when his spring semester was going to start. His eyes burned at the accompanying images of Riku driving away to the airport, and he slumped down in his seat, wondering why he was so heartbroken. It wasn't like Riku and he had confessed their undying love for each other. No... they had just shared the most brilliant night together, and then such an exquisite kiss to end it. He should be happy. Not so miserable.

Beside him, Riku frowned, noticing his sudden quiet. He knew it was from the news that he had wrought on the smaller man, but... that bubble of happiness. It had turned out to be so very fragile, just as all bubbles were, and it made Riku guilty to know that he had been the harbinger of bad news.

He wasn't sure how to feel about the situation. He had never had someone care so intensely if he was leaving someplace or not. His teachers loved him for his grades, but that was it. He didn't have any friends at school, at home, anywhere—not until Sora—and the only thing his parents had to say for their influence of his life was a shredded Christmas card bare of any of the essentials of love.

His fingers tightened on the steering wheel, the thought of that flimsy check making him burn with anger all over again. Could he really bring Sora into his mess of a life? And would Sora really want to stay? He hadn't seemed to grasp the concept of how Riku's life was yet, naïve as he was. Naïve and so... happy. Riku was cold inside... Sora was the exact opposite. How could he compare to that? He couldn't. At all.

Wetting his lips, he glanced to Sora's slumped frame and felt something uneasy twist through his stomach. Was the brunette really serious? Would he wait a year? Somehow, Riku didn't think so. For one, they didn't even know each other well enough, and it was a _year_. But what bothered him the most was this tiny flicker of hope beneath the ice. And it was hope that he would.

--

The lights were off at the Shiozu house when they arrived, the BMW giving a grumble as Riku shut its engine off. It begin to tick, cooling in the frigid air, and then there was the sound of seatbelts unbuckling and slipping back into place against the doors. Sora climbed out of the car first, shutting his door carefully behind him, his boots crunching in the snow as he headed around the hood of the car to meet Riku halfway.

"So..." he said softly, fidgeting as Riku peered down at him, his hands in his coat pockets.

The porch light was on, illuminating the front walk and making the untouched snow of the small yard glimmer. Riku somehow knew that tomorrow morning would find Sora and his family outside, destroying the white blanket of ice to create snowmen and angels and the like. He'd only met Sora's family yesterday—actually, the day before, now—but it seemed like a family tradition they would do.

His heart felt heavy, knowing he'd probably never stand here on this porch again. Despite Sora's optimistic words about him returning in a year, Riku knew he couldn't make any promises. As romantic as the notion was, it was unlikely.

Letting that final thought fill him with regret, he faked a smile at Sora. He watched as the other man's blue eyes filled with faint hope, his rosy lips parting with a small grin, his breath visible in the orange glow of the street. Riku noticed that this grin didn't quite meet his eyes, not like the ones from earlier.

"So... this is it, then?" Sora prompted, sounding far more cheerful than he should have. He tilted his face upwards, glancing at the sky momentarily before returning his attention back to Riku, looking expectant. The pompom on his hat was drooping again.

"Yeah," Riku offered after a moment, reaching up to lower his scarf, uncovering his chin as he let out a sigh. He wanted to apologize again, or say something meaningful... But he didn't have a clue how to end this.

Thankfully, Sora did it for him. Casting a glance at his house, Sora curled a hand around Riku's arm, pulling him to the side of the BMW and out of sight of the front windows, where a silhouette was. Probably Sora's mother watching them. Riku was surprised she hadn't called them during their night out.

"She's such a snoop," Sora sighed, looking a little sheepish, lips pulling into a smile, small but genuine. He met Riku's eyes in that expectant way again. "I just wanted to say... thanks for everything," he said. "I kind of forced all of this on you, but it means a lot to me that you had fun too."

Riku opened his mouth to say something, but Sora cut him off before he could, pressing a mitten to his mouth and looking determined.

"Don't talk yet," he said, brow furrowing slightly, not removing his hand. "Just—don't forget to come back, okay? I'm not going anywhere."

Studying Sora's pleading look, Riku gave a small nod of his head, reaching up to take Sora's hand, pulling it away from his mouth. "Alright," he said, guilt nagging at him, because he _wasn't_ sure... "I won't forget."

Sora smiled, wrapping his hand around Riku's, and then leaned up onto his tippie toes to press a soft kiss to Riku's lips. In that one moment, Riku felt his heart flutter again, like before back at his house, with Sora's warm mouth against his, breath tickling his hair...

And then Sora was pulling away, releasing his hand, and giving him a sad look as he turned away, tugging his new snow cap firmly over his hair as he quickly began to retreat to the front door.

There was no goodbye.

Riku watched as the door opened to welcome Sora home, saw Sora turn just slightly as if he wanted to look back—and he did, smiling back at Riku and giving a wave—and then he was gone, the door shutting behind him.

"Thank you..." Riku whispered, watching his breath trail through the air in a soft cloud before dispersing.

--

A sleepy quiet had settled over the cheerful atmosphere of the orphanage.

Swallowing, Riku shoved his hands deep into his coat pockets and turned slightly from where he was standing, his eyes flicking over the decorated room. Velvet stockings were lined over the mantelpiece of the large fireplace, filled to the brim with odds and ends, and he idly wondered where they had gotten the money for them before he realized that it was mostly all candy. A faint smile tracing his lips, he looked to the Christmas tree, where the matrons were setting out carefully wrapped presents.

One of the presents had glimmering snowflake foil, and Riku eyed it sadly, remembering the time that he had still believed in Santa Claus. All these children had no idea that he didn't exist... But then, maybe he _did_. At least, he seemed to exist in everyone that Riku had met over the past two days...

Seiya's excited gestures as she waved her spatula about. San's warm smile as he placed a hand on Riku's shoulder and gave it a fatherly squeeze. Cloud's quiet smirk as he applied eyeliner to his eyes, Sion's small arms clinging about his legs and not wanting to let him go, Rikku's mouth covered in rings of chocolate. Artemis's lecherous winks, Rairune's tentative smiles, Leon's gruff noncommittal grunts.

Sora's words searing through his heart and soul, enwrapped in such warmth that Riku was afraid to touch, lest it prove too delicate and break.

The Christmas spirit was everywhere, in the Shiozu home, in the small café with its cheerful, jingling bell, and now in this small orphanage that had noseless teddy bears and stray cats only wanting a bowl of milk and a scratch behind their ears.

He swallowed hard, feeling something like a lump settle in his throat. His home... his home was with these people he had met, that had turned his life around in just forty-eight hours. And it had all started with a frosty glass of milk and a plate of cookies, and that sweet, caring smile.

There was a sudden gasp, and he looked up to see Aerith there, her eyes widening in surprise and delight. She began to walk towards him, and he shifted uncomfortably, having been caught. His fingers found his golden pocket watch, idly stroking its case as her boots clicked along the linoleum floor.

"Riku, what a pleasant surprise. It's so late, though," she said in her breathy voice. "Is there something that you needed?"

"Tidus," he said, remembering the boy's watery smile. "Is he... Can I see him?"

Aerith tilted her head questioningly.

"I want to give him a present personally," Riku explained.

The matron hesitated, green eyes thoughtful. "I don't know... The children are sleeping, and we're setting out presents, as you can see..." But when she saw a shadow of disappointment flicker through his eyes, she smiled and nodded. "Sure, I'll go and get him up right now. If you'll follow me...? He should stay in his room." And she was already walking, leaving him no choice but to move after her.

He trailed his hand along the banister as he climbed the steps, watching the shadows grow around them as they entered a long hallway. The woman pressed a finger to her lips as she led him to a door at the far end, old floorboards creaking beneath Riku's heavy boots.

"Go inside," she whispered. "His is the second bed to the left."

Riku give a small nod, offering a hushed, "Thank you," before he quietly opened the door, stepping into the room.

The sound of soft breathing came to him, his eyes scanning the dark room, waiting a moment to adjust before he ventured further in. He moved past the first bed, pausing at the second one, something nervous twisting in his gut as he reached out, gently touching the shoulder of the sleeping figure. It took him a moment to rouse the slumbering child, but Tidus woke with a confused murmur, starting to sit up.

"Is Santa here yet?" he wondered in a tired voice, his hair sleep-mussed and sticking out in several directions, reminding Riku of Sora. Tidus rubbed at an eye, stifling a yawn as he looked up at the person hovering at his bedside. He squinted through the darkness, looking confused for a moment. "Mister Riku?"

"Yeah. Hey Tidus," he replied, giving a small smile as he kneeled, resting an arm on the mattress, lifting his eyes to Tidus. "I came to give you something."

Tidus blinked a few times, looking interested but still half asleep. "Is it Christmas yet?"

Riku nodded again, reaching into his coat pocket, feeling the familiar coolness of metal against his palm. He slowly pulled out his gold watch, the metallic sound of its chain echoing in the quiet room. Wetting his lips, hesitation filtering through him, he glanced from the watch's pale face to Tidus' expectant look. He thought back through the day's events, remembering Sora's laughter and warm touches, and how not once Riku had felt the need to check the time while he had been with the other man. As long as he could keep that comfort and happiness with him, he didn't need this damn watch.

Feeling more confident, he calmly reached out, setting the delicate antique in the small hand stretched out for him.

"This is yours," he whispered, curling the boy's fingers around it and then withdrawing his own. He felt only a tiny twinge of regret, but it was quickly smothered with the memory of Sora's blue eyes. "I don't... need it anymore."

"But you liked it so much," Tidus breathed in awe, the sleep beginning to clear from his eyes. He struggled to sit up more completely, blankets falling to his lap as he stared down at the golden pocket watch that had once belonged to Riku's grandfather. "...Mister Riku..." And then those eyes were watering with fierce tears. "Thank you!"

Warm arms abruptly enveloped him, and he peered down at soft blonde hair as a face was buried in his chest. It was like the day before, and just as awkward, but this time Riku managed to wrap his arms back around the child and soothe a comforting hand down his back.

They stayed like that for a while, Tidus clinging to the older man, Riku listening to the quiet snores of the child next to them. His fingers slipped into blonde hair, stroking comfortingly, and it wasn't long after that the boy began to drift back into sleep, his grip loosening on Riku. Smiling, he tucked Tidus back into bed, making sure that his chin and down was completely snug and safe. With a murmur of gratitude, he got to his feet, only to stop when that small hand clutched at his own.

Pausing, he peered down at Tidus, who was looking up at him with cloudy eyes. "Mister Riku, will I ever see you again...?"

"I hope so," Riku whispered, knowing that he meant it. "I... really hope so..."

And then Tidus' hand was releasing his own as the boy slipped his head back onto his pillow. With a dreamy smile crossing his lips, he closed his eyes and drifted back into the throes of slumber.

Riku eyed him a moment longer, making sure that he was truly asleep this time, before blinking the tears from his eyes and starting back to the door of the room. Aerith was waiting for him, something gentle in her eyes, and she touched Riku's shoulder briefly as he brushed past her.

"Thank you, Riku," she whispered. "You really mean a lot to him. He's talked nonstop about you since yesterday."

Smiling wistfully, Riku lowered his eyes to the floor and gave a single nod.

He found his way outside a few minutes later, Aerith giving him a warm good-bye and wishes for a merry Christmas, and then he was left to the blustering winds that had arisen since he had left Sora's house. It seemed that that storm front was rolling in again, sending snowflakes to dance through the air, and he looked up as they slowly found their way to land in his hair and on his clothes.

"Mrrow..."

Blinking, he turned to find a familiar tabby rubbing against his leg, arching and a purr echoing deep in its throat. He knelt beside it, soothing his fingers into soft hair, before other cold bodies began to edge out from behind their makeshift homes, meowing insistently at him.

"I wish I had a bowl of milk," he whispered, and he sat, not minding the icy stairs beneath him. But the kittens didn't seem to care, looking for only love and affection, and that scratch of Riku's fingers behind their ears.

"Meooow..."

And it was with a light heart that a smile found its way to light up Riku's eyes and curve the corners of his mouth.

--

Christmas saw heavy snowfall, keeping the entire family indoors, snug warm in pajamas and blankets as they entertained themselves with presents and silly stories over a large dinner, trying to keep spirits high, especially for the second eldest son whose heart didn't seem to be as into the holiday as it had been before Christmas Eve. No one asked questions. Everyone wondered.

Days drifted by without word, falling from one celebration into another, the midnight chime on New Year's acting like a catalyst for lunacy by throwing couples and strangers together, alcohol and kissing equally shared, the love for life dancing right into the next year and filling people with hope for a better start.

The new semester began, drawing children and college students groaning back into the classroom. Assignments were, well, assigned, and the cycle of life returned to normal, perfect memories never fading but taking a backseat to reality as routine became more important than fantasy.

Valentine's passed, bringing a cloud of love and depression and a horde of lovers and would-be lovers to a cozy little café, also bringing both money and frustration to the owner, who noticed an employee's distant gaze each time he studied new couples entering and leaving the shop hand in hand, lost in their own little worlds. That distant gaze? Longing. Envy. A wistful memory—something that could have been something more.

Snow melted into spring, and with the renaissance of green came the buzz of birds, bees, and teenagers flying south to beaches to have a good time on their break.

But there was a sole young adult left behind to stare up at passing gray clouds that foretold of rain, April's motherly hand replenishing its earth. What followed was a storm and screams of delight as the teenagers rushed back to their cars, jackets raised above their heads and umbrellas swinging at their sides, afraid to be thrust up into the air lest they get struck by ongoing lightning.

Spring's rains melted away into the river, which rolled into the ocean, spiraling back into the sky in the form of the lazy rolling of clouds. Summer breezes whispered through the green leaves of the trees, birds chirping and taking flight, coffee forgotten in favor of a nice cool glass of lemonade and sticky treats.

The fourth of July brought fire crackers to rain through the sky, while children gasped with awe and spun around in dizzy circles. Giggles were hushed beneath the thunder of crackers and the smell of barbeque, only to be muted as they were tucked into bed, air conditioners rattling with the need to chase the hot air away.

And slowly the smell of potato salad and burnt chicken faded into the smell of rain thick in the air, hair sticking up on end and a teenager twisting around on his bed, uncomfortable and trying to get away from the suffocating heat. Unpredictable spurts of rain and loud bursts of thunder kept him awake, along with a few of the other teenagers on his block, but the sound was only finally drowned out by the shrill call of his alarm clock.

Finally, the rain and humidity gave way to gentle breezes tugging at his clothes as he moved to school, cracked brown leaves rising from his presence and slipping past a café front. A bell jingled, bringing in the nippy air, the shivering of customers and the quiet gratitude as warm cups of coffee slid into their hands.

Halloween brought a horde of children and adult-sized children looking for fun, with the café owner even participating with a themed graveyard interior and matching revenant costumes, and the blonde-haired manager giving more tricks than treats as she chased the brats away with her silly string.

The chill of winter crept through the town, and the smell of cocoa and vanilla chased the scarves and coats adorning passersby. Familiar faces returned each day to the familiar cozy café with its familiar employees, and were sat in familiar seats and ordered familiar orders with familiar smiles of cold noses and eyes bright with the excitement of oncoming holidays. Another familiar was the routine.

And as the weeks passed, days grew shorter and gray clouds threatened the small town with a veil of snow. It came. And with the drifting feathers of ice also came memories of a lonely year already gone by, of a quiet rich stranger with emptiness in his eyes who had disappeared... Disappeared with a lingering half promise.

Thanksgiving was eventful with a full table and enough food to feed a small army. Seconds and dessert were served, china was cleaned, and the calendar was turned to the last seven columns of squares. Lights were strung from the rooftop, nearly taking the lives of the daredevils doing the decorating. At night, the twinkling of reds and greens could be seen from just beyond bedroom curtains.

The year was almost done. The wait had been long. Anticipation and dread warred within the one waiting, the one glancing continuously out the café windows, eyes searching the snowy streets for a flash of pale skin and silver hair and that thick black coat and those distant green eyes.

No one was coming... No, he _would_ come. He never promised... but he _said_ he would. It was just a dream... No—those feelings had been real. He must have forgotten by now... He must have. He must have...

Turning his back to the snowy street, he went back to his work, taking care of cold-fingered customers, emanating holiday cheer for all of them as if he truly felt it this year.

The door cracked open. In came a frigid gust of snow-chilled air, a colorful scarf dancing along the breeze into the café, reintroducing a weather-worn man to the warm, comforting atmosphere of mocha and French vanilla. Plastic icicles hung from the rafters this year, poinsettias and shimmering silver tinsel catching the newcomer's eyes as he moved into the shop. The jingle of the closing door alerted the two working employees—one reading a newspaper and lounging against the counter, and the other talking animatedly with him.

Without missing a beat, or even turning to glance at the new patron, the season greeting came, followed by the promise of being waited on in a minute.

Black trench coat swishing at his feet, the newcomer adjusted the soft scarf around his neck, lowering it from his cold nose as he moved to take the seat nearest the door. A remix of _Jingle Bells_ came to him over the soft murmur of café customers around him, and his eyes turned to glance out the window, spotting a man and woman passing by, bundled up to fight the cold, their fingers still clasped.

A year, and yet nothing had changed.

The sudden clatter of porcelain on the table caught his attention, his heart missing a beat as he lowered hopeful green eyes, staring through silver bangs at a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies sitting before him. A tall glass of milk rested beside it, frosted and beginning to perspire.

Just like how he had remembered.

"It's kinda funny that such a crazy, hectic holiday can make everyone so happy."

Riku finally looked up, catching the warm smile that pulled at Sora's lips.

"Welcome home."


	4. Epilogue

_**Author's Notes:**_

_Uzumaki-sama:_ And now we've come to the very end. (We kept the epilogue secret, bwahaha.) It's been fun writing this, and I really grew attached to these characters... I'm gonna miss it now that it's done. T-T

_Vash's Girl:_ Surprise? Yeah... Well, I really like this ending, it's very cute, in my opinion. And it was fun to write. So let's hope that everyone—especially Ki—likes it as much as we do.

**_Disclaimer: _**We own nothing!

* * *

_For Dark Ki—_

_As we wish that at least from us you have a very merry Christmas._

* * *

_**Epilogue**_

--

The snow seemed never ending, drifting lazily through the midnight sky as it had been all day and the morning before. A modest flame crackled in the hearth before the sofa, warming their faces and cold toes. The room smelled of burning oak, fresh pine, the scent of new furniture, and the lingering aroma of hot apple cider from earlier in the evening when they had exchanged their smaller gifts and shared a late snack.

It was a new beginning for both of them, and one they had planned themselves. No heartless parents dictating Riku's future, no family expectations surrounding Sora, schooling and jobs helping pave the way to their adult lives.

A lazy smile upon his lips, almost lethargic, Sora set his mug of cider on the coffee table and brought his knees to his chest so that he could wrap his arms around them. His small blanket was snug about his shoulders, but Riku's arm was infinitely better.

"I'm so glad that we got this new apartment." Smile steadily transgressing into a large grin, Sora looked to his boyfriend to see an answering, gentle upward tilt of his lips. "It was a really good idea, Riku. Way better than your lonely house."

Green eyes flicked away, but the older man wasn't upset, just contemplative as he sipped at his cider. He wasn't ready to set his aside yet.

Content, Sora leaned back into the sofa cushions. "This leather couch is comfy… where'd you get it?"

"Don't worry about that," Riku said in his quiet voice, melding in with the dying cracks of the fire before them.

"Muu, Riku, we said no secrets…" the younger man pouted, poking his boyfriend's knee a bit hard.

Licking his lips, Riku lifted his gaze, smiling faintly at Sora through his silver bangs. "Just like how you haven't told me about making the dean's list, right? Or how your brother practically moved in with Leon... Or about Artemis and Rairune planning a trip to Europe and inviting—"

"Wah! Stop there!" Sora's hand flew over Riku's mouth, his eyes widening. "You've been talking to my mom, haven't you?" he asked, playfully glaring at him. "Figures she'd spill all of that..."

Riku calmly pulled Sora's hand away, giving him a knowing smile. "She called a few times when you were finishing up at work."

"She's getting sneakier about that."

"She's just concerned about us," Riku mused, running his thumb over the rim of his mug. "It feels nice having someone care like that. Family-wise, I mean."

A soft look of understanding passed through Sora's eyes, and he reached out, slipping his hand over Riku's, stroking his boyfriend's knuckles. The gesture was simple, but it was comforting. Warmth settled inside of Riku as he met Sora's gaze, the dancing light of the fire reflecting in his eyes.

Recognizing the sharpening of Riku's eyes and the slight smirk curving along the corners of his mouth, Sora laughed quietly, lowering his own gaze almost shyly.

"Riku… I… I'm glad that—we're like this… now…"

"I know," the other man murmured, finally setting his mug of cider next to Sora's on the coffee table. He leaned forward, their foreheads brushing, before his nose gently nuzzled into Sora's.

"You have a moo-stash, Sora," Riku whispered, his breath a caress against his boyfriend's pouty lips.

Familiar—and welcome—feelings of desire stirred to life inside of Sora's stomach, and he gave a breathless chuckle before slipping his arms about the quiet man's shoulders and pulling him ever closer.

It was silent but for the soft rustling of clothes against skin, the popping of the fire as a log fell atop another in partly ashen pieces, the ticking of the clock above the mantelpiece, and the whisper of careful words before they were swallowed hungrily by a kiss.

_I love you._

--

The sheets were cold.

Riku slowly lifted his head, blinking blearily at the empty spot on the bed where Sora was supposed to be. He wasn't, and Riku's arm was slung over one of Sora's pillows where it _had_ originally been holding Sora's waist as they slept. And good sleep it had been, too, their warm bodies tangled naked together under heavy comforters after such intimate lovemaking.

Lazily stretching over their large bed, Riku yawned, idly wondering where Sora had gone off to, especially if he had been so sneaky about it. Not smelling anything cooking, or even hearing anything in the rest of their small townhouse, he figured that the other man was up to something if he was being so quiet. It was Christmas morning, but by now Riku knew Sora's antics.

He sat up, sliding out from under the covers, shivering a little as the cold air hit his bare skin. And as he reached for his robe and moved his feet to toe on his slippers—

He found them missing. In fact, they weren't even in the room.

"Soraaaa?" he called, rubbing his arms as he moved to his dresser to get something to wear.

There was no response.

His brows furrowing in thought, Riku wrapped his arms tight about himself and tip-toed out of the room, shivering despite the warm air. An inkling of warning began at the back of his mind, telling Riku that it was Christmas, and therefore Sora was probably indeed up to his usual antics. A cheerful Sora equaled a nightmare for Riku.

He was still a bit unused to his surroundings, having grown up his entire life in his family's home, but the off-white walls and smell of fresh paint was comforting. But what was more comforting, he thought bemusedly, was Sora in his arms as they snuggled together into the late morning. Not a missing Sora… and cold sheets…

Riku's teeth were chattering by the time he reached the front door, having scoured the very recesses of the house right down to the last closet. And true to his sense of smell, nothing had been cooked—the kitchen appliances were still sparkling, still pristine.

Sora must have been outside in the snow. Truth be told, Riku was not looking forward to venturing out there in the thin pajamas he had pulled on.

_I'm going to kill him, and this is only our third day in this place..._

So much for jolly thoughts on Christmas morning.

He pulled open the—yes, unlocked—front door and peeked his head out.

The front yard was a disaster. What should have been a flat blanket of snow in front of their townhouse was instead a war zone, tracks of footprints everywhere, and even a few snow angels.

Situated right in the line of sight, was a large snow man. It was wearing Riku's robe, earmuffs, and various other winter accessories, and his slippers were stuck into the snow at the base. If it hadn't been his stuff completing the snowman, Riku might have thought it cute.

Drawing in a deep breath, Riku steeled himself, hoped he didn't get frostbite, and leapt outside, cursing softly under his breath as he danced across the front lawn, kicking up snow in his endeavor to reach the snowman before Sora found hi—

"HAH!"

A snowball hit his shoulder as Sora appeared from behind his snowman, decked out in snow gear, his cheeks and nose rosy from playing all morning in the cold weather.

"Got ya!"

Sora proceeded to laugh, doubling over and clutching at his side, his eyes shining with his mirth. He was no doubt waiting for Riku to grab some snow and haul it back at him, and he might have, had he not been out here practically in his birthday suit.

The snow melting down the bare skin of his shoulder was freezing, and he cursed, hopping back and forth in a dance to end all frost-bite dances. A long moment of silence stretched between them, the clouds moving restlessly over the sun, before Riku decided he couldn't really take being out here anymore dressed as he was, and so he decided to exact his revenge in other ways.

He was back across the lawn and to the front door before Sora could digest what was happening, muttering obscenities the entire way. His mother would have frowned and called it improper behavior, but—he smiled as he locked the door behind him and proceeded to rub at his arms bedecked with gooseflesh.

Riku didn't really care about improper behavior anymore.

So what if Sora was gay, and he had drawn Riku into his heart of cheerful madness? So what if Sora's family was the exact opposite of his own, a bit poor but making it by all right, loving, and very helpful? So what if his relationship with Sora was more than a little scandalous? He didn't care. What… really mattered was the words he had whispered to Sora the night before, and how eagerly his brunette lover had responded to them.

_"I love you." _

How his eyes had shined with a pure blue, his lips swollen from all of their kissing. _"I love you, too, Riku. Now c'mere, I'm getting cold!"_

There was an abrupt pounding on the door, jarring Riku from his thoughts. He hadn't even noticed that Sora had tried jiggling the doorknob a few times, and only now his shouts of protest resounded both inside and outside of the house, although it was a bit muffled in the former.

"RIKU, LET ME IN! PLEEEEEEEEEEEASE? IT'S SO COLD OUT HERE!"

Riku leaned his head back against the door, calling out loudly. "No!"

There came more pounding, as well as Sora's upset whine, and Riku didn't have to see him to know the other man was pouting. "Muu, Rikuuu! I'm gonna _freeze_!" he cried, sounding convincing. His voice lowered, turning into a mope. "Pleeease? I'll be good! I'll make you breakfast! I just wanted to play!"

Despite his better judgment, Riku felt his heart soften with guilt, not liking the thought of a truly upset Sora being stuck outside when he didn't want to be. It was Christmas, after all. And he had just been trying to have a little fun...

"Such a bleeding heart," Riku muttered to himself, unlocking the door and swinging it open, ready to warn Sora about anymore pranks.

He didn't get even a word out.

"YAY, RIKU! You _do_ love me!"

A body collided with his and he went flying into the hard floor, a snow-covered Sora on top of him. He managed a yelp of surprise, disoriented for a moment, and by the time he collected himself, it was too late. Sora sat on his stomach, looking victorious, a pleased grin spread across his rosy cheeks. His hair was dotted with flakes of ice, not to mention his clothes were damp and starting to soak through Riku's thin pajamas, but it seemed like Sora wasn't getting up any time soon.

"Heehee, you fell for it."

Riku narrowed his eyes up at his boyfriend.

Sora's lips broke into a broad grin. "What? Heehee."

"Get off…" Riku began, but broke off as icy hands touched his hips before palms rubbed over his pelvic bone. He gasped, shuddering hard at the cold, and brought his hands to Sora's shoulders to push him off. "Sora!"

The brunette purred, leaning down to press his nearly blue lips to Riku's. "You looove me, right? Then you'll do anything I want," he sang.

"Sora, it is _freezing_ out here, I—"

Smooch.

"Mmm… Riku, did I tell you how sexy you were?"

"Well—"

_Smooch. Smooch. _

"Sooo sexy…"

_Smooch. Smooch. Smooch. _

Riku found his eyes drooping, his will to speak leaving him in light of the warming lips against his own. He sighed, letting his lashes flutter shut completely, and shifted a little.

"Ooooo, I think I feel Fred getting happy, too!"

His eyes snapped back open, widening at the sudden twist Sora's grin had gone to—it was now lecherous, and his eyes gleamed as he descended for another kiss.

"Off!"

A snicker. "Get off what?"

"Sora, this is—" He cut himself off as he heard the door click shut, Sora's foot having no doubt found it. He was also slightly fascinated by his boyfriend's slender fingers moving over the buttons of his wet coat, struggling to get out of it.

"Insane…" he finished weakly as layer by layer of warm clothing was cast aside until Sora was just as bare-chested as he was.

Smirking, the younger man leaned to capture his lips once more, pulling back only to breathlessly cheer, "You know you like it!"

"You are a _demon_…"

"Heeheehee."

* * *

_-fin-_


End file.
